David Smith Obituary

We work together until its retirement, helping each other and sharing information. He was always friendly and so open... an inspiration.

Like many in GETSCO we first knew Dave as Futsu Fred from the "Jet Set Gazette" .. I later had the privilege to work for Dave in the CM&U business and we kept in contact over the years when his nickname changed to "Dave the wise" not just because of his knowledge but his willingness to share it and coach us all to be better engineers. Dave will be sorely missed by all, may he rest in peace.

I worked with Dave at GE from 2008 until he retired, and I have many fond memories of his mentorship. He has been and will be missed!

When I moved to Greenville in 2009, Dave was my consulting engineer and quickly became my role model. I wanted to become like him... the wise man that knows everything and is always ready with a smile, advice, and Fireballs.
After Dave retired, I volunteered to help clean up his desk and sort the things he left behind. Amongst those, I found a red Fireball candy jar, which brought back fond memories of times past.
In Dave's honor, I taped a photo of him to the top, and I've been filling it and giving them away (along with advice), ever since. I've done this for more than ten years now, and told innumerable people this same story when they ask about the photo.
All that to say, Dave has been missed and his influence is still felt. I'm wishing you and all his loved ones the best, and hope you also have fond memories to keep you smiling even in this sad time.

Dave was one of my first mentors in GE when I joined around 2009. I am very glad to have had the chance to learn from him. Not only on the technical side; but also with regards to a general approach to leading projects. His calmness, technical expertise and desire to help were appreciated by all of us. His achievements in life should be a source of pride.
I pray for him. May he be in a better place. To his loved ones, I wish you a long life with health and joy, and many happy memories of Dave.

Dave and I worked in similar instructor jobs at GE's Field Engineering Development Center and we bonded, there.

We were both good and avid cribbage players and only had a short lunch break. Therefore, we "reinvented" and played a modified cribbage game with more-than-normal cards in our hands. This gave us very high scores for each round and we could play multiple games over lunch and still start our classes, on time.

Maybe they play cribbage, in heaven, and that Dave remembers the "rules" we invented, better than I do.

I came to work at GE in 2000. Dave was already an expert staple there. He was always happy to help me learn Liquid Fuel. LOL. I saw how he helped so many with his expertise. He was a pure joy to work around and set a standard for being a great tutor and role-model. Dave, you will be missed terribly. We need more people like you. - Paul Black

David was a warm hearted and kind gentleman. RIP, David!