William Smith

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) William Smith, the second oldest child to the late Connell and Hattie Smith was born on April 11, 1949, in Washington, D.C. He transitioned into eternal rest on Saturday, January 7, 2023 surrounded by family. William, known as “Bill” accepted Christ and was baptized at an early age. He was educated in the public schools of the District of Columbia and graduated from Eastern High School in May 1967. He then attended Federal City College earning a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in June 1972 and furthered his education at Howard University earning a Juris Doctorate in Law in May 1975. William joined the United States Army on May 10, 1974, serving his country proudly. As a reservist his tours of duty include, but are not limited to, Germany and Japan. In April 2009, William was honorably discharged from the United States Army after serving as a Staff Supervisory Assistant to the 165th Quarter Master (QM) group of Fort Belvoir located in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He served in the United States Army as a Commissioned Officer for over 35 years. LTC (Ret) William Smith was a decorated officer earning numerous awards beyond the following listed: Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) with one Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC); the Army Commendation Medal (ARCOM) with one OLC; Army Achievement Medal (AAM) with four OLC; National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) with bronze star; Armed Forces Reserve Medal (AFRM) with hourglass device; Army Service Ribbon (ASR), and numerous other awards. William was a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., initiated into the Kappa Psi Chapter in 1970. He was honored as the Omega Man of the Year from the Washington, D.C. Chapter just one year after being initiated into the Kappa Psi Chapter. He was an intricate member on the Founders Memorial Committee to establish a permanent monument on the campus of Howard University. He held various leadership roles within elected offices at the Chapter, District, and International levels and served as the keeper of finance at the International Headquarters in Washington, D.C. William was named undergraduate Basileus of the Year in 1975 for loyal and faithful service. During his tenure, he was the first Treasurer of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Credit Union which was established in 1986. This year he would have commemorated 53 years as a “Q”. William was a respected man with a huge heart and generous spirit, a great confidant, a loyal brother and uncle. He touched many lives and provided fond memories to all who knew him. He was the family patriarch and historian working tirelessly to chronicle the family history for future generations. He enjoyed keeping up with the current events of the world, a good debate, and challenging all to excel in education. He was an avid Washington Redskins fan (now known as the Washington Commanders) always rooting for the burgundy and gold. William leaves to cherish his memory two sisters, Shirley Barrett (Jasper - deceased), and Tonga Peterson (Reginald), and one brother W. Joseph Smith (Linda). As William was not a father, he considered all of his nieces, nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews to be his children and treated them as such. William is preceded in death by both his parents; Connell and Hattie Smith, two brothers OC Smith and Leroy Smith, brother-in-law Jasper J. Barrett, and one step-sister Sadie Jackson (Junis).

William Smith

April 11, 1949 - January 7, 2023