William C. Smith

William Clement Smith passed away at home on January 7, 2026 at age 77. Bill was born in Akron, Ohio on June 22, 1948, to Clement and Alice (nee Paulus) Smith. He was preceded in death by his parents, his father- and mother-in-law William and Helen Darmstadt, and his brother-in-law, Gerald Klein. He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years, Margaret "Peggy" (nee Darmstadt) Smith, daughter Gale of Pittsburgh, PA; son Joshua of Baltimore, MD; sister Elaine Klein (Gerald) of Notre Dame, IN; brother Joseph (David Eicher) of Silver City, NM; sister Rose Bennett (Tim) of Akron; sister Lorraine Mlakar (Joseph) of Fort Wayne, IN; brother-in-law John Darmstadt (Germaine) of Mount Vernon, OH; many nieces and nephews; and his loyal dog Pippin.

Bill attended St. Matthew Catholic church and grade school and graduated from Archbishop Hoban High School in 1966. While attending the University of Akron, Bill met the love of his life, Peggy, through their shared passion for theater, ballet, and the performing arts, marrying in Akron in 1970. Supported by mentors Tom Skelton and Heinz Poll, Bill's love of work and remarkable attention to detail elevated him to the highest levels of his profession as a theatrical production carpenter and electrician for many national tours and Broadway shows. Bill was a proud union member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 48 for over 50 years.

After two decades of touring, Bill and Peggy returned to Akron to raise a family. Following in the footsteps of his father, Bill returned to school and graduated from an accelerated course in draftsmanship and computer-aided design (CAD) at Portage Lakes Career Center in 1990. Bill achieved success in his new career at multiple engineering firms until his retirement, while also remaining active in the IATSE Local 48. In his later years, Bill enjoyed working at the historic West Hill Hardware in Akron, enthusiastically helping customers with blade sharpening, repairs, and any odd project they brought to the store. In his spare time, Bill demonstrated his remarkable talents as a carpenter and woodworker, designing and crafting many pieces of fine furniture.

Bill was deeply loved by many as a husband, father, son, brother, uncle, friend, and baseball coach. Alongside his wife, he lovingly and devotedly took care of Peggy's mother in her last days in Birmingham, Alabama. He was also an avid sports fan who passionately cheered for the Cleveland Indians/Guardians, Ohio State, and the Hoban Knights. We will forever cherish and miss his kindness, wry smile, witty humor, and the joy he provided to us all.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Hummel Funeral Home, 2800 W. Market Street, Fairlawn, OH, with informal gathering to follow. The family kindly requests any memorial donations be directed to the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival; go to AkronDanceFestival.org.