Donald Smith

Donald Darrel “Duckie’ Smith age 87, of Sault Ste. Marie, MI, passed away at the Ball Hospice House in Sault Ste. Marie, MI after a short illness, on September 4, 2022.

Born November 13, 1934 on Mackinac Island, MI, the youngest of 7 children to Ozro Jackson Smith II and Mary Agatha Perrault.  He attended Mackinac Island Public Schools before moving to Pickford, MI to attend High School.  He Lettered in football, basketball and track but his first love was baseball.  He attended Western Michigan University to play baseball as a left-handed pitcher.  He followed his love of baseball to Detroit, MI for a try-out for the Detroit Tigers at the same time Al Kaline tried out for the Tigers.  We all know how that ended up; Duckie couldn’t run.  He went on to experience life, including work to build the Mackinac Bridge and for a time, was a personal driver in Phoenix, AZ.  His clients included Ty Cobb and Amanda Blake “Miss Kitty” with Gunsmoke.  He returned to life on Mackinac Island, working for the MRA, serving as a City Commissioner and Chief of Police.  He then made a long career as a Lineman for Edison Sault Electric, where he retired in 1997.  His second love was golf, taking every opportunity to play golf.  He golfed a round of 36, the best round of his life, two-days before being hospitalized.

His love for his wife, Jeanne and his family was everything to him.  He loved the moments when all of his family was around him.  He is survived by his wife of 49-years, Jeanne Kaiser Smith, sons Ozro Jackson Smith III (Lisa Mattson-Smith) of Dafter, MI; Donald Darrel Smith of Mackinac Island, MI; daughter Megan (Steven) Miller of Sault Ste. Marie.  Grand-children Anthony Yukich, Savannah Smith, Alexander Platter, Ozro Thane Smith and Alana Smith; and great-grandson Augustus Smith.

With gratitude and love to Becky and Tom Erickson and Christy Curtis.

Visitation will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 9, 2022, at C.S. Mulder Funeral Home in Sault Ste. Marie, followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 1:00 p.m.

Memorials can be made to Mackinac Island Public Schools, Pickford Schools Athletic Association or Hospice of the EUP.