It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Damian Clyde Smith, on January 12, 2026. Our only consolation is that he was joyfully met by his cherished wife Paula, his parents, his dear brother Llewellyn and his beloved Heavenly Father — reunions he looked forward to and ones we know were glorious beyond description.

Born November 11, 1949, in Shelley, Idaho, Dad grew up in a large, loving family in Idaho Falls. He was the third of ten children of Albon and Mary Smith, whose steady and faithful examples rooted him in a lifelong devotion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which brought great joy to his life.

His childhood was filled with hardworking days — tending cattle, building fences, milking cows — and also filled with plenty of waterskiing and motorbiking with family at Hebgen Lake in Montana. Anyone who knew our Dad knew his love for Hebgen - it ran deep in his blood and he found every chance to visit the cabin throughout his life.

He spoke fondly of his time as a young missionary in Japan, where he and his beloved older brother Llewellyn were both called to serve. At the beginning of his mission and towards the end of Llewellyn's, Dad experienced the unforgettable moment of spotting his brother at the Tokyo station upon hearing Llewellyn's signature whistle cutting through the crowd! His mission transformed him, and his mastery of the Japanese language and culture became a lifelong gift in his professional endeavors.

An exceptional student and natural leader, Dad excelled at BYU, graduating summa cum laude with high honors from BYU and going on to graduate magna cum laude from the J. Reuben Clark School of Law.

Dad married the love of his life, Paula Sumsion, in the Provo Utah Temple on July 15, 1976 at the tail end of his schooling. Together they raised five children—Raleigh, Jordan, Lilianne, Preston, and Mackie—creating homes filled with love, laughter, and devotion. He was able to "rejoice in his posterity" as his children married and grew their families - adding four daughters-in-law, one son-in-law and 22 grandchildren.

Through his hard work and brilliant brain, he was able to build a distinguished legal career that took him and Paula all over the globe. He began practicing law in Seattle at Graham & Dunne ('77) until he made the move to Salt Lake City at Snow, Christensen & Martinueau ('81) and remained there until he was headhunted to be the director of Japan Business Practice at Perkins Coie ('91) in Seattle. In 1998, at the height of his professional career, Dad accepted a job (more like a calling) as International Head of Legal Counsel for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , moving his family to the Philippines and Hong Kong. In this role, he helped secure official Church recognition in several nations and strengthened the Lord's work across the region, traveling extensively to 20 Asian countries. He loved to share stories from these wild and inspiring experiences. His passport was about an inch thick, with three "extensions" stapled in. In 2004, he returned to Salt Lake City where he filled out the rest of his career at Parr Brown Gee & Loveless and Techlaw Ventures until he retired just a few years ago.

As a testament of their commitment to family, he and Paula acquired their Alpine house in 2011. In a very short period of time, the home became the spot for countless family gatherings and was a sacred place where Mom could carry out her love of gathering and Dad could share his steady and Christlike influence with his children and grandchildren. It was in Alpine where we experienced some of our family's most cherished memories and spiritual moments — Christmases, Thanksgivings, graduations, marriages, baby blessings, priesthood blessings, Sunday dinners, swimming parties — all packed with good food and love. Dad was a specialist in making his famous whole wheat, buttermilk pancakes, paired with buzzed pears and whipped cream and you could always count on him for a good old onion sandwich. We all loved the onion sandwich!

Dad and the family supported Mom through her various health challenges until her sudden passing in August 2022. Mom left a hole that could never be filled, and Dad helped us all stay strong and carry on. When faced with terrible and sudden loss, he continued on with deep faith, optimism and joy - as he knew where he came from, why he was here and where he was going. His faith was admirable and stronger than anyone we knew, which has and will continue to influence his posterity for years to come.

In his final 2½ years, the Lord blessed Dad with Vickie Powell, who brought renewed hope, joy, companionship, and tender care to his life. Vickie has been an absolute angel to our Dad and allowed him to finish his mortal life doing the things he loved most. Together, they shared amazing experiences traveling all over the world, enjoyed their respective families and brought a mutual zest-for-life to each other's lives. We love her deeply and thank her for cherishing him and giving him a wonderful end. She is an integral part of our family's story. Our Dad's life was so vastly blessed by two amazing women.

Dad has left a legacy of complete devotion to the Lord, his family, and the covenants he made on this earth. He was unflappable, consistent, positive, happy and spontaneous. It didn't matter if it was a scenic drive, a round of golf, a chance to play the piano, a ski on glassy water, a time to share his testimony, or a time to cheer on BYU, Dad was ready for all of it.

We miss you more than words can say, Dad. Your legacy of faith, love, and goodness will guide us always. Until we meet again, please watch over us. We love you forever.

Damian is preceded in death by Paula Sumsion Smith and is survived by his wife Vickie Powell, his five cherished children and their spouses: Raleigh (Tandi) Smith, Jordan (Kelly) Smith, Lilianne (Jason) Wright, Preston (Courtney) Smith, and McClain (Lauren) Smith, along with his 22 beloved grandchildren, who were his eternal treasures and his greatest accomplishments.

He is also survived by his eight remaining siblings: Cathie (Jud) Miller, Stafford (Shelly) Smith, Claudia King (Val) Lowder, Woody (Dawn) Smith, Shirley Smith, Heather (Andre) Linchenko, Nathan (LaDawn) Smith, and Cameron (Honica) Smith and is preceded in death by his parents, Albon and Mary Smith, brother Llewellyn and brother-in-law Randy King.

Details for Damian Smith Funeral Services:

Viewing: Friday, January 23 from 6-8pm at Walker Sanderson Mortuary

646 E 800 N

Orem, UT 84097

Funeral: Saturday, January 24 at 11am.

LDS Stake Center

1125 E Alpine Blvd

Alpine, UT 84004

Viewing: 9:30 to 10:30am

A webcast of the service will be available at www.walkersanderson.com .