W. Eugene (Gene) Smith, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on Friday, March 27, 2026, in Cottonwood, Ariz. Gene was born on May 6, 1934, in Forester, Ark., to John and Faye Smith. Gene was the second of seven children.
In September of 1956, Gene joined the United States Army. He trained at U.S. Training Center Antiaircraft Artillery, Fort Bliss, Texas. In January of 1957, Gene was sent to Camp Casey, South Korea. Where this GI, SP4 or Corporal would meet a “Donut Dolly” by the name Jean Garbee. They would serve until the Autumn of 1958.
Gene and Jean were married on December 26, 1958, in the President’s House at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. They moved to Reserve, N.M., where Gene was employed as a log truck driver. Their first child, Tim was born in November 1959, in Reserve, N.M. They relocated to Fayette, Iowa, for about a year and a half, and moved back to Reserve, N.M.
In 1962 while on a road trip to Flagstaff, Gene would stop in Winslow, Ariz., to see if there was a need for log truck drivers. There was. So Gene, Jean and Tim moved to Winslow in the fall of 1962. Gene would work for a private logging company then he hauled for John Ervien. He hauled logs to Duke City Lumber. Their second child, Mary Ann was born in February 1963. They would officially purchase their home in Winslow in 1965. Their third child, Roger was born in April 1968. Gene and Jean started their own trucking company “Smith Trucking” in 1970. They would purchase a red and black Mack log truck.
When the logging industry went through a downturn, he would convert the Mack truck to haul heavy pieces of equipment from Flagstaff to the Page Generating Station. Gene then purchased an end dump trailer to haul sand/gravel, he would haul from Cameron to Flagstaff, from Camp Verde to Flagstaff and haul for the Ready-Mix Plant locally. He would also return to log mill, which then was known as Precision Pine Mill in the maintenance department until he retired in 1996.
After a heart attack in 1998, he retired from truck driving. A few years later Gene would go to work for Winslow Unified School District as a school bus driver, which included driving for activities as a trip bus driver, for 15 years. He loved the students he would drive for and they loved him in return.
He loved helping people, handing out wooden cars (hand made by his brother-in-law Bud) and he never met a stranger.
Gene is survived by his adult children, Tim (Claudia) of Deming, N.M., Mary Ann of Winslow and Roger (Kim) of Litchfield Park, Ariz. His sisters, Genean Riddle, of Gravelly, Ark., Johnny Faye Wood of Waldron, Ark., Joice Peralta of Reserve, N.M., and Bett Hagon, of Flagstaff, Ariz.; brother, John (Kathy) Smith of Clarksville, Ark.; and brother-in-law, Bud (Marilyn) Garbee of Broken Arrow, Okla. As well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Gene is preceded in death by his loving wife, Jean of 65 years in 2024; his parents, Faye and John W. Smith; brother, Jay Smith and sister Evalena Riddle; brothers-in-law, Hick Riddle, Bud Riddle, Ruben Peralta and Eldon Hagon; nephews, Bruce Riddle, Scotty Riddle, Wayne Riddle and Don Yandell; great-nephew, Brandon Burns; great-great-niece, Blakey Hughes and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Gene was an organ donor; even in death he helped people.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 25, at The First Baptist Church, located at 411 N. Warren Ave., in Winslow. With a reception immediately following services.
