Ezra Garland Smith Obituary (1923

WINTHROP ~ The day before the start of deer hunting season, Ezra Smith, age 91 of Winthrop peacefully reached, as he often said during his tenure in hospice, “his expiration date”. After seven wonderful months of hospice care at VA Togus, Ezra lovingly passed away, leaving a legacy of family and friends who were inspired by his humbleness and generosity as a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. Heaven is about to have one heck of a yard sale. Ezra’s passion for finding “old stuff that just needs a little fixin’ up” was legendary. Anyone who ever bartered with Ezra at a yard sale knows his power of persuasion. Ezra was born to Bessie and Arthur Smith in Wayne on May 1, 1923. He loved his older sister, Betty, and enjoyed her and her family throughout his life. Ezra attended school systems as a young boy in Wayne and Winthrop and was a 1940 graduate of Kents Hill School. The bike he rode back and forth to school is still in his garage. It was featured a few years ago on the Kents Hill School website. Ezra was a veteran of WWII, and as a patriot and lover of his country he devoted his life to serving others whether it was through 4-H, his children’s school activities, serving customers at Wilson’s Dollar Stores or simply being a best friend to all he met. On July 27, 1947 Ezra married the red-haired beauty he met while she was visiting her aunt in Winthrop from her hometown of Lubec. His wife Ada, who died in 2000 after 54 years of marriage, was loved by all. Her family, especially her two brothers Philip and Mervelle and their families were special people in Ezra’s life. Ezra and Ada raised their family in Winthrop in his grandparents’ house on Lambert Street as Ezra made his way from stock boy to co-owner at Wilson’s Dollar Stores. He is survived by a family who loved him deeply and aspires to lead their lives the way he led his – honestly, humbly and in service to those around them. His devoted children George, Gordon and Edie; daughters-in-law Linda and Janet; granddaughters Rebekah and her husband Patrick, Hilary, Devon and her husband Mark and Erica; grandsons Joshua and his wife Kelly, Nathan and Ezra; and 4 great-grandchildren who brought him utter delight: Addison, Vishal, Quinn and baby Ada. Ezra enjoyed the love and caring company of Irma Rice the last 14 years of his life. Ezra and Irma were constant companions around Winthrop and could often be spotted enjoying a cup of coffee around town or sharing a meal at 99 or the Red Barn, two of their favorite restaurants. Ezra grew up in North Wayne and remained attached to his roots. He loved working the land, gardening and cutting wood. He respected the outdoors and all its critters and enjoyed over 50 years of hunting and fishing with son George and dear friends Wayne Healey, Henry Botka and others. He was loved by all the people associated with Wilson’s Dollar Stores, who were sorry to see him retire in 1979, but excited to see him explore his creative side – carving loons and ducks; painting amazing Maine scenes and portraits; and making loon magnets that adorn refrigerator doors throughout the state of Maine. His political opinions were shared honestly and openly and his letters to the editor will be sorely missed – they were always short, to the point and almost always right on the money. Ezra’s last six months of life were spent in the hospice unit at the VA Togus. There are no adequate words to express that extraordinary experience. Ezra thrived being surrounded by the medical staff and volunteers who cared for him as if he was their own Dad. He fished in the trout pond on the Togus campus, he painted, he enjoyed music, laughter, life stories and in the last few days, enjoyed the tender care of making sure his departure was a peaceful one. And it was. A celebration of Ezra’s life will include visiting hours at Roberts Funeral Home, 62 Bowdoin Street in Winthrop on Friday, November 7 from 3-5 PM and 6-8 PM; and a funeral service at the Winthrop United Methodist Church, 58 Main Street, Winthrop at 1:00 PM on Saturday, November 8th with a reception following at the Augusta Country Club. A private family committal will take place at the East Readfield Cemetery, where Ezra will be laid to rest next to his beloved Ada, overlooking the beautiful fields and hills of central Maine. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to your favorite charity in Ezra’s name, or send a contribution in honor of Ezra to: VA Togus, Hospice Unit, 1 VA Center, Augusta Maine 04330. Memories, condolences, photos, and videos may be shared with the family on the obituary page of our website at www.khrfuneralhomes.com