David Phillip Smith's Obituary
David Phillip Smith, 74, of Columbia, IL, passed away on Monday, January 13, 2025, at Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis, MO. He was born on December 28, 1950, in St. Louis, MO, to Alfred and Mary (nee McFadden) Smith.
Dave always enjoyed working with his hands as a mechanic, a craftsman, and by fixing most anything. Dave was a great mechanic. He started out working at his father’s service station at a very young age, moved on to work at multiple dealerships over the years, then ended his career as a mechanic consultant. He was a mentor to many and had an expectation of himself and his mentees to be hardworking and methodical. Throughout his career, Dave was the trusted mechanic for many St. Louis celebrities such as Chuck Berry, Jack Buck, and Bob Forsch, to name a few. Celebrity or not, Dave shared an exceptional talent with integrity. Dave treasured the opportunity to work with his sons, Kyle and Zach, at the Saturn dealership; they made many memories working together. His love of cars ran deep. He also wasn't shy about which brands he trusted, and those he didn't. If you bought a brand he didn’t care for, he would helpfully suggest you keep a good pair of walking shoes in the glovebox.
When he wasn’t working on cars, he was a skilled craftsman. He built everything from toys, practical decorative pieces, entire family homes, and everything in between. Sharing the love of cars with his grandson, he built a very detailed Matchbox car filling station and garage.
Affectionately known as “Dave Fix It”, he could fix almost anything. If it was broken, no doubt, it would be repaired, often with an improvement. In recent years, his wife may have broken a few things purposely just to keep him busy.
Dave was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Columbia, IL, and the Corvette Club in Collinsville, IL. Dave enjoyed going to the YMCA almost every morning to work out and visit with his "Y" friends. Dave loved cooking, baking, and grilling. A few of his specialties were “Christmas crack,” amaretto cheesecake, and hamburger soup. Dave especially loved his kids and grandkids, always bragging about everything they were doing and accomplishing. Dave was a very good friend to many and always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need.
Dave is survived by his wife of 31 years, Carolyn (nee Schilling) Smith; his children, Zach (Jessica) BiancoSmith, Kyle (ReAnna) Smith, and Courtney (Matt) Harper; his daughter-in-law, Emily Smith; his grandchildren, Kate, Lilly & Robby Smith; Eli, Ben & Estelle BiancoSmith; Charlotte Smith; Alex & Jacob Harper; his brother, Donald (Bonnie) Smith; his mother-in-law, Rosemarie Schilling; his brother-in-law, Henry Mulnik and Henry’s children Karl and Faustina Mulnik; his sisters-in-law, Marilyn Kunklemann, Mary Schilling, Donna Hoefner, Sharon Kern, and Laura Althardt; and his dear friends, Merle and Barb Jany; along with many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Mary (nee McFadden) Smith; his oldest son, Rob Smith; his brother, James Smith; his sisters, Doris Roper and Darla Williams; his father-in-law, Leo Schilling; and his sister-in-law, Kate Mulnik.
Visitation will be held on Monday, February 3, 2025, from 9:30 am - 11:00 am, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Columbia, IL. A memorial service will immediately follow, at 11:00 a.m., at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Columbia, IL, with Fr. Steve Thoma, C.R. officiating.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church 411 Palmer Road, Columbia, IL 62236 or to the family’s wishes. Arrangements were handled by Leesman Funeral Home. For more information, please access our website, www.leesmanfuneralhome.com.
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