Terry O. Smith

Terry O. Smith of Battle Creek, Michigan peacefully passed away on June 3,2025 at The Oaks Senior Living Center with his family at his side, after living a full and satisfying 94 years.

Terry was born on November 7, 1930 in Battle Creek, Michigan to Ora and Margaret (Tennyson) Smith. He acquired his quiet work ethic from his father and his love of the outdoors from his mother. He was the oldest of four children and set a good, strong example for them.

Terry was active in the Boy Scouts and attended Battle Creek Public Schools. He was a 1948 graduate of Battle Creek Central High School and attended Western Michigan University studying Pre-Engineering. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in (Industrial) Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1954.

In his youth, a neighbor lady happened to invite him to church at Upton Avenue Methodist Church, which would change his life forever. It was a good environment for him and one day in Youth Fellowship, he met Bessie Mae Taylor, who would later become the love of his life. He and Bessie Mae began dating. As Terry once said, “I was her guy and she was my gal”.

Terry and Bessie Mae were married on September 5, 1953, in the same church where they had met and Terry still talked about the beautiful reception held in Bessie’s parent’s back yard for many years. They lived in a small apartment in Ann Arbor as newlyweds while Terry completed school. He enjoyed being a Michigan Wolverine, was a lifetime member of the University of Michigan Alumni Club and continued to be an ardent, devoted Michigan sports fan his entire lifetime. Go Blue!

After Terry’s graduation from U of M, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He entered the Army in August of 1954 and completed his Basic Training at Fort Leornard Wood in Missouri. He was later scheduled to report to an overseas assignment in Japan. When he left, Bessie Mae was expecting their first child. He was stationed in Tokyo and assigned as a Personnel Action Clerk with the Headquarters Commandant’s Office of the U.S. Army Central Commander. He hated being away from Bessie Mae and his new daughter, whom he would not see until she was 16 months old.

Upon his return, he began working at the Kellogg Company and the small family moved to a new neighborhood in Pennfield Township. His family grew as they were blessed with another daughter and a son. Terry held numerous positions while employed by Kellogg Company and was also on the Board of the Kellogg Credit Union. He retired in 1989 after 35 years of dedicated service. Upon retirement, he and Bessie Mae built a log home on Fair Lake in Delton and enjoyed many years there while making beautiful, lasting memories for the whole family.

Terry and Bessie Mae were charter members of their new church home, the former Birchwood United Methodist Church, where they remained very active and dedicated to for many years. Terry ushered, mowed the church lawn, played on the church softball team, was active in the Methodist Men’s group, served as the building fund treasurer and performed many other leadership roles while at Birchwood.

Terry enjoyed watching all kinds of sports, especially Michigan football and any of his kids and grandchildren’s sporting events and activities. He also had a lot of interesting hobbies throughout his life. He enjoyed birding, hunting, fishing, gardening, taxidermy and competitive decoy carving. He was also an avid reader into his 90’s. He played bridge for decades, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He met many people and had some very special bridge partners over the years, especially dear friends John and Laura Davis. He also had the opportunity to teach Beginner’s Bridge while living at Northpointe Woods Independent Living for almost 17 years.

He loved nature and being outdoors. He volunteered as a Tour Guide at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary for 16 years where he was able to pass on his vast knowledge of birds and wildlife to many school children and youth. He also provided the Kellogg Biological Station with water level data from several lakes, ponds, marshes and streams in the Barry County area as well as banding and tracking the migratory patterns of the area waterfowl.

Terry also loved to hunt and fish and could tell many, many fun stories about his hunting adventures, which usually included his brother Clint and his brother-in-law, Bob. Once he and Bessie Mae moved to Fair Lake, he began to fish more and taught all of his grandchildren how to bait a hook, catch and reel in a fish and also how to scale and clean the hundreds of blue gill and perch that were caught while living there. He also loved a good family fish fry.

Surviving are his daughters Debra Todak (Larry) and Kathryn Powell (Mark), and daughter-in-law, Marci Smith (Rod Eberhard), all of Battle Creek. He is also survived by brother-in-Law Gerald Taylor of Ludington, MI and sister-in-law, Barbara Smith of Battle Creek. He leaves behind 13 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren (with 3 more on the way), all of whom respected and loved him very dearly.

Sadly, in 2015, he was preceded in death by his beautiful wife, Bessie Mae whom he lovingly provided daily care and support to in her final years. He was also preceded in death by his beloved son David Smith, his parents, Ora and Margaret Smith, his parents-in-law Andrew Taylor and Lucile Taylor-Webster, brothers Clinton Smith, Marshall Smith, sister Leora Cavendar, brother-in-law Robert Taylor and sisters-in-law Carolyn Taylor and Gloria Taylor.

Terry was always the compass for his family. He taught them all many life lessons and how to stay pointed in the right direction, but never expected perfection. He was welcoming to all and truly set the example of how to treat others. He earned everyone’s respect, not with dominance or arrogance, but with his quiet example of how to be the best possible type of human being. He loved babies and little children and everyone in his family was very important to him. As he got older, he became more expressive and talked many times about what a lucky man he was and how blessed he was with his family and friends. Actually though, we were all the truly lucky ones to be blessed by having had Terry Smith in our lives.

A visitation open house will be held from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Cremation Preneed Care in Battle Creek. In honor of Terry’s love of sports, please feel free to wear any gear from your favorite sports team. Military honors, committal and inurnment will be held at Fort Custer National Cemetery at a later date for Terry’s family.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Dave Smith Scholarship Memorial Fund through the Battle Creek Community Foundation, 32 W. Michigan Ave., Suite 1, Battle Creek MI 49017. Personal messages for the family may be placed here at www.farleyestesdowdle.com