Ian
“Smitty” Smith, age 90, passed away February 7, 2010 at his home at Duck
Lake due to natural causes. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on
Thursday, February 11, 2010, at the Babb United Methodist Church with visitation
and a reception to follow. Whitted Funeral Chapel of Shelby is in charge of
arrangements for his cremation. Condolences may be sent to Clara Smith at P. O.
Box 37, Babb, MT 59411.
Ian McLaren Smith was born in Butte, Montana April 15, 1919. As a young man he was involved with the Boy Scouts and earned the highest level of Eagle Scout in 1937. After graduating from high school in Butte, Montana in 1938, he worked in the Butte mines until he had enough money for two years at Montana State College at Bozeman. He subsequently would work and go back to school. In 1946 he married the love of his life and his dearest friend, Clara Millicent Chase, in Milton Freewater, Oregon. In 1948, finishing his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Montana, Ian went to work for Montana Power Company in Cut Bank.
Leaving Montana Power in 1952, he worked with the Anaconda Copper Mining Company in Great Falls but was recruited again by Montana Power in 1954 to be gas field Superintendent in Canada near Foremost, Alberta. In 1957 he was again transferred as gas field Superintendent in Cut Bank. While in Cut Bank he was a member of the Elks Lodge No. 1632.
In 1958 he received a certificate from the Montana State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
He took early retirement from Montana Power in 1974. Retiring to Duck Lake near Babb, Montana, Ian enjoyed his hobbies of fishing and fly tying, doing crossword puzzles, and playing cards and games with Clara and their many friends while they enjoyed watching the variety of birds that came to the feeders that were always filled on the deck. Ian was an active member of the Babb United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Clara (Chase) Smith. He is also survived by several nephews and nieces and their families, Paul and Janet Wolf of Missoula , John Van Cleve of Whitehall, MT, T. G. Madsen of Sacramento, CA, Bill and Kay Snowhook and Sharon Brant of Sequim, WA, and Marilynn Cobo of Portland, OR.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and a nephew, Jerald Markham.
Memorials/Donations may be sent to the Babb United Church at P. O. Box 112, Babb, MT 59411 or to the Babb/St. Mary Volunteer Fire Department at P. O. Box 69, Babb, MT 59411.