Denver Eugene Smith

Denver Eugene “Gene” Smith, 87, of Fishers, Indiana, passed away peacefully in his home and went to be with his Lord and Savior on October 28, 2026. He was born on April 8, 1939, in Charleston (Kenna), West Virginia, the third of nine children, to Guy and Lillie Smith.

Gene shared 38 years of marriage with his wife, Mary, was a devoted father to three daughters and a loving grandfather to three grandchildren. His family was an important part of his life, and he demonstrated his love for them through many acts of service and taught his children the value of an outstanding work ethic. Gene started working at a young age to help his family on the farm in West Virginia. His many experiences contributed to his ability to fix almost anything. He moved to Northwest Indiana in his 20s to work at a steel mill in East Chicago, and he (known by his colleagues as Denver or “Smitty”) had near perfect attendance throughout his career as a Tin Mill Supervisor. He retired from LTV Steel in the year 2000 after 34 years.

Gene met his beautiful and talented wife, Mary, through a bowling league and later earned many accolades and even a 298-pin bowling ring! He played numerous sports including golf, tennis, and billiards, and his competitive spirit was certainly evident when playing card games with family. He thoroughly enjoyed betting on horse races, watching game shows, and he loved to hunt and fish, most frequently in his beloved West Virginia. He had a great sense of humor, frequently telling jokes and making people laugh. Gene had the amazing gift of making things grow! His green thumb yielded a bountiful garden and beautiful flowers at the Hobart, Indiana house where he and Mary raised their daughters. He continued to beautify the yard with flowers and a lush lawn after moving in with his youngest daughter, Kathy. They even won a neighborhood contest for the best lawn! Gene was so proud of his daughters and often joined in when they sang songs acapella or around the piano. He was a former member of Central Baptist Church in Hobart, Indiana, and valued being part of his Sunday School group and enjoyed fellowship with his church family. Gene really liked church softball, volleyball, the Sunday School fish fry, and potlucks!

He was a great cook and grill master and often made the family favorites of pancakes or baked steak and gravy. In later years, his primary food group was CHOCOLATE! He traveled and explored new places with his family and had the blessing of visiting 49 states during his lifetime, but ultimately, he cherished the hills and country roads of West Virginia the most.

Gene was preceded in death by his wife, Mary (Goodwin) Smith; his parents, Guy and Lillie Smith of West Virginia; his brothers, Roy, Robert, and Dayton; and his sisters, Dorothy and Ruby. He is survived by his brothers, Tom Smith of Virginia and David Smith of West Virginia; his sister, Rachel Tillinghast of Florida; his three daughters, Karen Smith of Noblesville, Indiana, Kimberly (Steve) Picray of Faribault, Minnesota, and Katherine Smith of Fishers, Indiana; as well as his grandchildren Nathan (Jenna) Picray, Stephanie Picray and Rebekah Picray; and many other extended family members.

A gathering to honor and celebrate Gene’s life will be held at his daughter Kathy’s home on Saturday, November 28th. For those interested in attending, please contact his daughters for additional details. In lieu of flowers, please consider a volunteer activity or act of service or make a donation to your preferred charity.