Obituary of William Alan Smith

William Alan “Oop” Smith passed away Friday, April 11, 2014 in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Erlanger Hospital. Born on Christmas day 1948 he did indeed amount to a wonderful Christmas present for his parents Rachel and Hosea “Smitty” Smith and brother Brian. After an outstanding career at The Baylor School For Boys Alan attended the University of South Carolina where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He graduated from the University of Chattanooga with a bachelors degree in Business Administration where he was a member of the golf team after which he obtained his MBA degree from the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He tried to work in as many fields as possible during his career. He began in the investment department of Provident Life and Accident Insurance Company. He then became General Manager of Beasley Distributing Company. Then a stock broker at J. C. Bradford & Company. He then exercised his entrepreneurial talents in the business of Executive Cleaners, Landscape Chattanooga and B.O.S. Enterprises before settling into the real estate profession with Crye-Leike Realty and later Keller Williams Real Estate. Everyone who knew Oop has at least a few “Oop stories” that are regularly recounted and embellished upon but space does not permit here. He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Gail Louise Moore Smith, his brother Brian (Anita) his nephew Campbell (Grace) Smith of Washington, D.C., and his niece Alexandra Smith of Washington, D. C. ; The Family Table at T-Bones and Becky’s, his Sandestin golf trip pals, his 10:00 golf group at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club and his workout mates at the downtown Sports Barn. He will now have a better location from which to watch the Masters Tournament than his ground level tickets ever presented. Memorial services will be held at 1pm Monday in the funeral home chapel with Rev. H. King Oehmig officiating. The family will receive friends from 12 Noon until the time of the service on Monday at the funeral home. Arrangements are by Wann Funeral Home & Cremation Center, at the foot of historic Lookout Mountain, St. Elmo, 423-821-7551. Share your memories at www.wannfuneralhome.com.