CARIBOU and SALONA, Pa. – Capt. Kenneth R. Smart, U.S. Air Force, retired, 64, passed away July 6, 2011, at the Gate House, Divine Providence Hospital, Williamsport, Pa., after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Ken never lost his battle with cancer, and cancer never won the war, God just needed a very special man to fill a heavenly void. A choir of heavenly angels sang outside his hospital door and when the singing stopped he had no pain anymore. With all the love and strength she had inside her, his loving wife released him into the loving arms of our Lord, knowing they would again be together, next time for eternity. He was born May 25, 1947, in Lock Haven, Pa., a son of Robert K. Smart and the late Shirley N. Barrett Smart.
Ken and his wife, the former Alice “Sue” Everett, formerly of Caribou, were united in marriage Oct. 19, 1968, at United Baptist Church, Caribou. He was a 1965 graduate of Bald Eagle-Nittany High School and graduated cum laude from Troy University in Alabama in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. Education was always important to Ken and he always encouraged people, young and old, to obtain as much knowledge and education that was available to them. He was an Air Force veteran with 21 years of service to his country and two and a half tours of duty in Vietnam. After spending 11 years as an enlisted member of the Air Force, Ken was accepted into the Officer Training Academy. After serving 10 years as an Air Force officer, he retired Dec. 31, 1986, with the rank of captain at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska. Ken received numerous military medals and ribbons and in 1978 was awarded the 552nd AWAC – WG Company Grade Officer of the Year at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. He was employed at Penn State University as an information systems analyst, retiring Dec. 31, 2010, due to his declining health. He had also been a teacher at South Hills for more than five years. Ken was a member of several organizations throughout the years and most recently was the treasurer and life member of Southern Clinton County Sportsmen Club. His greatest joy for the past 11 years was being coordinator of the Youth Field Day event held every year at the Sportsmen Club in which more than 120 youths got to spend the day participating in numerous outside sporting and nature events. He was an avid Penn State Football fan, as well as a Boston Red Sox fan. He not only enjoyed watching sports, he also participated in sports, playing softball, golf, hiking and hunting. He loved being the coach of his wife’s top winning women’s softball team in Anchorage, Alaska. Ken loved spending time in the great outdoors just enjoying nature’s many wonders.
He is survived by his wife, Alice “Sue”; his father, Robert and stepmother, Kathryn; three sisters, Madelyn Johnson of North Carolina, Pam and Jim Ripp of Nevada and Eva Hahn of Virginia; two sisters-in-law, Betty and Arthur Fortin and Jenny and Ronnie Rafford; one brother-in-law, George and Carol Everett, all of Caribou; numerous special nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and a great-great-nephew. Ken will be greatly missed by many friends he had made during his lifetime: his very special neighbors, Chad and Deb Karstetter; his “little girlfriend,” Leah Karstetter; and especially by his three little buddies, Tazza, Abbey and Smorezee. He was predeceased by his mother, Shirley; sister, Cathy Donahay; father-in-law, Thomas Everett; and mother-in-law, Olive Everett.
Friends may call 7-9 p.m. Monday at Mockler Funeral Home, 24 Reservoir St., Caribou. A funeral service with military honors will be held 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, from the chapel of Mockler Funeral Home with the Rev. John Kiehn officiating. A committal service will be held Thursday, July 14, at Maine Veterans Cemetery. A memorial service will be held 3 p.m. Friday, July 15, at First Church of Christ, 330 North Vesper St., Lock Haven, Pa. Memorial contributions may be made to your local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the charity of your choice. For online register, please go to
www.mocklerfuneralhome.com.