Stephen Guthrie Smith

Stephen Guthrie Smith, 70, of Little Rock passed away on Wednesday, March 22, 2017, after a courageous battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born October 10, 1946, in Little Rock, Ark. He was raised in Stuttgart, Ark., and graduated high school from Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, Tenn. He received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where he was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. He was preceded in death by his parents, Martha Ellen and Leavelle Smith, and his brother, Leavelle, Jr. Steve was an avid, lifelong outdoorsman, and when he became the President of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation in 1989, his passion also became his job. Steve did his best to spread the traditions of hunting, angling and outdoor recreation statewide. His true talent was educating young people about wildlife conservation for the great Arkansas outdoors he so dearly loved. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Director, Jeff Crow, said there were no words to adequately describe what Smith meant to the agency. "A kind and gentle soul, his love for the AGFC and its employees was displayed in everything he did on our behalf," Crow said. Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation President Deke Whitbeck said the foundation was saddened by Smith's death. "He was the leader of this foundation," Whitbeck said. "More importantly, he was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He had a true passion for reaching out to young people and introducing them to Arkansas's great outdoors." Fred Brown, AGFC chairman, said Smith was a dedicated outdoorsman. "He did his best to spread the traditions of hunting, angling and outdoor recreation for as long as I knew him," Brown said. "His friendly smile and calm demeanor always let you know you had a friend willing to work with you to get people outdoors," he added. In 2003, he was inducted into the Arkansas Game & Fish Outdoor Hall of Fame and in 2015 he was named Arkansas' Ducks Unlimited Sportsman of the Year. He was a Ducks Unlimited national trustee emeritus, and served two seven-year terms as an Arkansas State Police Commissioner, where he was known as a "troopers commissioner." Steve and the Foundation were driving forces of the 1996 successful campaign to pass a conservation sales tax to provide permanent and solid funding for the AGFC, Arkansas Parks, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, and the Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission. Smith guided many foundation projects, such as the purchase of the Robinwood addition to Wattensaw Wildlife Management Area, which used proceeds from several years of Outdoor Hall of Fame banquets. He played a leading part in the acquisition and development of Potlatch Conservation Education Center at Cook's Lake, and the development of a firing range in Jacksonville. He also was a key link in the purchase of a 421-acre tract for Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek. While his friends are many, and he will be missed, the love for his family will always be remembered. Steve cherished his time with family and friends, fishing and enjoying the wildlife at the Little Red River. Steve is survived by his wife of 39 years, Etta Irving Smith; his two sons, Stephen G. Smith II (Christa White) and William Bryant Smith (Sayward); and two grandchildren, Alexis Irving Smith and William Beckett Smith. He is also survived by his brother Mike Smith (Nancy), and former wife and friend, Susanne Hall. There will be a celebration of Steve Smith's life at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, 2017, at Second Presbyterian Church. There will be a reception at the church following the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests the memorials be given to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, #2 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72207, or The Michael J. Fox Foundation, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, Md. 21741-5014. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.