Stephen Alan Smith

Augusta, GA – Mr. Stephen Alan Smith, 76, entered into rest Monday, August 7, 2023. Memorial Services will be held Thursday afternoon, September 28, 2023, from 2:00 until 4:00 at the Eldr Restaurant Outdoor Stone Patio, 111 Grovewood Road, Asheville, NC 28804. Mr. Smith was born On December 30, 1946, in Morganfield, KY, and was the son of the late Billie Warren Smith and Nancy Howard Smith. After earning his BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina – Asheville, his first job was teaching biology as the only male faculty member at St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines private girl’s school. He quickly moved on to work first in the Celanese Chemical labs in Charlotte before accepting a position with Southern Bell Telephone in Florida. He continued to earn positions of increasing responsibility in several Florida cities before accepting a promotion to Southern Bell Headquarters in Atlanta. When Southern Bell became BellSouth, Steve remained with the company but eventually transferred to AT&T and was responsible for management selection, development and evaluation. It was in Atlanta that he met his future wife, Linda. After retirement from AT&T, he followed his gardening passion and started Benchmark Services, a landscape design and installation company in Atlanta. Steve was a man of many interests and approached each one with enthusiasm. In Atlanta, he was a member of the model yacht club participating in competitions throughout the southeast. He enjoyed playing golf and was known for being a gourmet cook and spent many weekends working with his friend, Winslow Jones, at Winslow’s Hideaway Restaurant in Cashiers, North Carolina. He was a “model train enthusiast”, collecting model trains, and creating model railroad benchwork including beautiful landscapes and buildings, with everything designed to scale. In addition, he was a skilled woodworker creating furniture for his home. He and his wife have made Augusta their home for the last 17 years. Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Linda O’Neal Smith, three siblings, Warren Michael (Laurie) Smith, Asheville, NC; David Howard Smith, Brevard, NC; and Nancy Jane Smith; Utica, KY, and a number of nieces and nephews. Chance & Hydrick Funeral Directors, 2502 Richmond Hill Road, Augusta, GA, 30906.

Stephen Alan Smith

December 30, 1946 - August 7, 2023