Mr. Otis M. Smith Jr., age 93, of Evergreen Drive in Sandersville peacefully passed away at his home on Friday, November 19, 2021. A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held on Monday, November 22nd at 2:00 P.M. in the First Baptist Church of Sandersville with burial in the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. Reverend Lee Lacey, Reverend Alan Smith, and Reverend Wes Smith will officiate. Pallbearers will be Tom Duggan, David Evans, Bill Garner, Randy Mayberry, Wayne Norris, and Tim Werkin. The family will greet friends Sunday, November 21, 2021, from 2:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. in the May and Smith Funeral Home in Sandersville.
Mr. Smith was a native and lifelong resident of Washington County, the son of the late Otis Weaver Smith, Sr. and the late Bessie Claude Brantley Smith. He was reared in Tennille, where he completed his education for beginning his working career with the Murphy Grocery Store. Otis would soon begin work for Thiele Kaolin Company, serving as a faithful employee for 45 years before retiring as Safety Director. Mr. Smith was a long-time and active member of the First Baptist Church of Sandersville, where he served as a Church Deacon. Otis was a lifetime fan of sports and played two years of professional Class D baseball in his young adult life. He enjoyed music as a member of the Dixie Kats Dance Band, playing throughout the Southeast for over 30 years. Mr. Smith was often a seen as a fixture on a piano stool while entertaining friends and family members in a home, a country club, or a church. Otis was proud to continually be active in his community. He served two terms as a City Councilmember for the City of Sandersville and as a Past President of the Sandersville Lions Club, the Twin City Country Club, and the Washington County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Smith garnered many accolades during his lifetime, including, Sandersville Lion of the Year, Sandersville Rotary Citizen of the Year, Georgia Mining Association Miner of the Year, and a Certificate of Appreciation for his service on the Sandersville Housing Authority. Otis was an avid golfer who won the Twin City Country Club Championship on 12 separate occasions. He was known by many as a man of great character and a distributor of laughter, joy, and love.
Survivors include his loving wife of 73 years, Anne Hood Smith; sons, Kenneth Smith and his wife Jean of Statesboro, Billy Smith and his wife Karen of Sandersville, and Mike Smith and his wife Becky of Sandersville; grandchildren, Erin Smith, Leah Smith, Alan Smith and his wife Allison, Wes Smith and his wife Molly, Bradley Smith, Jason Smith and his wife Ginger, and Lauren S. Ryther; and eleven great-grandchildren.
Donations may be made to the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 2947 Pleasant Grove Road, Sandersville, Georgia 31082; the First Baptist Church of Sandersville, 316 Mathis Circle, Sandersville, Georgia 31082; or to the Mt. Gilead Primitive Baptist Church, 154 Mt. Gilead Church Road, Tennille, Georgia 31089.
Online condolence may be expressed at mayandsmithfuneraldirectors.com
May and Smith Funeral Directors is in charge of these arrangements.