Obituary of Royal Vern Smith, Jr.
Royal V. Smith, Jr., known to most as Smitty, passed away on July 9, 2020, in Canandaigua VA Hospital, his loving home for the past 30 years.
Royal was born 1945 in Raleigh, NC where his mom and dad, Royal Vern Smith Sr. and Blanche Nystrom Smith, resided after his dad returned from WWII. He graduated from Oriskany High School in 1964 and at the age of 18, volunteered to serve his country.
Royal served in both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army where he performed two years of very intense combat duty in Vietnam. His service to our country is something he always held in great honor and respect. Since returning from military service in 1970, Smitty has been fighting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Not many in this world have given as much to their country as he did.
Surviving is his most loving sister, Beth Jones, her husband, Ed, their two children, Michelle Borgovini and her husband, Robert, and Michael Jones and his wife, Sarah, and his great niece and nephew, Gianna and Joseph Borgovini, and Smitty’s extended family members at Canandaigua VA Hospital, Garden View Unit Building 8A. Smitty was predeceased by his parents, Royal V. Smith, Sr. and Blanche. He will be greatly missed by his given family and extended Canandaigua VA family.
Full military graveside private services will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in the near future.
There are no calling hours.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Royal’s memory may be made to: Canandaigua VA, 400 Fort Hill Ave., Volunteering Unit, Bldg 7, Canandaigua, NY 14424, designated for Garden View Unit Bldg 8A.
