David L. Smith

David Lang Smith went to be with the Lord on Sunday, May 24, 2020.  David was born on February 26, 1956 and grew up in Farmville, NC.  He graduated from Farmville Central High School in 1974. Afterwards, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1979 where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Relations and Psychology.  Upon graduation, he worked for Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company. During his 16 years with Jefferson Pilot, he lived in Greensboro, Miami, Jacksonville, Tampa, Raleigh and Baton Rouge.  He met his wife, June, in Raleigh and they were married in 1991.  After their move to Baton Rouge, David followed God’s leading to start a new chapter of his life with June and their three children and joined the ministry of The Navigators. David and his family served in Ukraine from 1996 to 2005.  They then moved to Columbia, SC and continued until now to serve with The Navigators among international students at the University of South Carolina.

He is predeceased by his sister, Carol (Smith) Copeland and his father, Bert S. Smith, Jr.  He is survived by his mother, Joan Moran Smith.  He is also survived by his wife, June (Ahrendt) Smith, and their three children Sarah Joan Smith of Winnipeg, Canada, Jonathan Lang Smith of Greenville, SC and Michael David Smith of Clemson, SC.  He is also survived by his brothers, Bert S. Smith III and his wife, Susan, of Farmville, NC, Harry Moran Smith and his wife, Allyson, of Mt. Pleasant, SC and brother-in-law, Buxton Sawyer Copeland and his wife, Amy, of Raleigh, NC.

His love for Jesus and his family defined his life.  He was always known for his great smile and sense of humor.  He led by example in every aspect of his life.  His thoughtful and kind spirit will be missed by people in every corner of the world.

Visitation will be held on:

Saturday, May 30th at 1:00 PM 

Sandhills Community Church

3513 Hard Scrabble Road, Columbia, SC  29223

The celebration of life will be held following the visitation at 2:30 PM.  

*** COVID-19 Considerations: The visitation will be held in a tent in front of the church. The service will take place in a large sanctuary allowing social distancing as desired. Other options include an indoor “clean room” (with separate entrance in back) and the outdoor tent both with live streaming. A link to watch the recording of the memorial remotely will be added to this website at 6pm EST on Saturday. Our heart as a family is to allow as many people as possible to celebrate David’s life in whatever way they feel comfortable.  

In lieu of flowers, contributions in David’s memory can be made to International Friendship Ministries (put in memo - David Smith Memorial Fund) and sent to June Smith, 6171 Crabtree Road, Columbia, SC 29206. Another way to honor David would be to contribute to an international student living in the US.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of David L. Smith, please visit our floral store.