The church leased, rather than owned slaves, as was its custom, and Wilson grew up around a majority African American community in Columbia. He helped organize the Presbyterian Church of the Confederate States of America, in which he became a leader. The Reverend Wilson served as pastor of several Southern Presbyterian congregations and taught theology at Columbia Theological Seminary and, much later in life, at Southwestern Presbyterian Theological University. As an adult, Wilson would later remark “the only place in the world where nothing has to be explained to me is the South.”Īlthough Wilson's father, the Reverend Joseph Ruggles Wilson, had been reared in Ohio before moving to Virginia in 1849, he became “unreconstructedly Southern” in values and politics after moving to the South. In 1870, his family moved to Columbia, South Carolina, and then to Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1874. He also saw the poverty and devastation of Augusta during the early years of Reconstruction. Young Wilson's earliest memories were of the Civil War, seeing Union soldiers march into town and watching his mother tend wounded Confederate soldiers in a local hospital.
Less than a year later, the family moved to Augusta, Georgia. His father was a minister of the First Presbyterian Church, and Tommy was born at home.
May his soul rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire us all.Thomas Woodrow Wilson-he would later drop his first name-was born on December 28, 1856, in the small Southern town of Staunton, Virginia. Gregory Elston Smith was a shining star in our universe, a reminder of the beauty and wonder that exist in this world. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that contributions be made to the ASPCA, your local humane society, or Haven Hospice of Gainesville, FL.ĭr. His presence in this world was a symphony of joy and laughter, and although he has left us, his memory will continue to echo through our hearts.Ī funeral mass will be held at Holy Faith Catholic Church in Gainesville, FL on Jat 2:30 pm. He enjoyed playing the piano, taking Holland America cruises, loved animals, and was an avid Florida Gator fan. Smith worshiped at Holy Faith Catholic Church in Gainesville, FL. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Anne "Perky" Smith his father, Elston Smith and his mother, May Smith.ĭr. He loved his family and is survived by his daughter, Deborah Bailey (and her husband, Bowie) of North Lauderdale, FL his son, Patrick Smith of Midlothian, VA his grandson, Riley Smith of Wake Forest, NC his granddaughter, Addison Smith of Midlothian, VA his cousin, Denise Whitney of Anacortes, WA and his beloved corgi, Lady Kathryn Anne. He was a charitable man who enjoyed mentoring others and had a deep spiritual faith. Greg was a man of many talents, but it was his sense of humor, wisdom, and generosity that endeared him to all who knew him.
He received the Order of Merit from Lambda Chi Alpha in 2004. He gave freely of his time locally, regionally, and nationally over the years and spent countless hours mentoring brothers in his “adoptive” chapter, Epsilon Mu, at the University of Florida. Greg joined the Alpha Psi Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at the University of Washington and remained a didactic servant in the organization throughout his life. The Academy bestowed upon him the Award of Excellence in 1998. He was a longtime member of the Academy of Operative Dentistry and served as the secretary for the organization for 18 years. He chaired the Department of Operative Dentistry at the University of Florida numerous times throughout his career. After practicing dentistry in Seattle from 1968-1972, he went on to become a Professor of Operative Dentistry, teaching at the University of Florida and the University of Colorado. He was a man of academia, earning his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from the University of Washington. Greg served his country as a Captain in the United States Army from 1966-68, working as an Army Corp Dentist. Born on Jin Seattle, WA to Elston and May Smith, he was a beacon of light in a world that can often be dark. Gregory Elston Smith, 82, passed away peacefully on at Haven Hospice in Gainesville, FL. The world has lost a brilliant mind as Dr.
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