Eric James Smith

Eric James Smith (44) came into this world a couple of weeks early, due to some fireworks at our front door on the evening of July 4th. He was born to Gary and Julie (Trusty) Smith, in Portland,Oregon, on the morning of July 5th, 1980. Eric passed away unexpectedly on October 13th, 2024, at his home in West Valley City, Utah, where he lived with his youngest brother, Evan.

After moving to Texas with his parents and two younger siblings, Eric came home from school in Texas and announced that he had learned ‘Texan’ and proceeded to count to ten with a Texas twang. It was in a North Richland Hills, Texas grade school where he learned to play the Baritone and earned a week at a band camp at an out of town college.

After moving to Utah, Eric graduated from Granger High School, where he took a semester of Latin, and was on the Granger Lancer wrestling team. We’re not sure if he took Latin to learn another language, or for the end of semester toga party.He did seem to enjoy the Latin.

Eric loved scouting, earning his rank of Eagle. His scout masters Larry Christman, Jason Mecham and Grant Stoddard taught their boys many things. Eric was always excited about going camping in the Tee Pees, cooking with their Dutch ovens, and the mountain men rendezvous. The troop took several trips to Nutty Putty cave, and we always worried about them until they returned safe. He loved the time he spent one summer, working up at Camp Steiner, where he was supposed to start off as kitchen assistant, and was quickly promoted to cook when the original cook declined to start. It was at Camp Steiner that Eric quickly took to rock climbing and rappelling, after his work duties were finished in the mornings. Later on, Eric learned to snowboard and he loved to go up into the mountains to snowboard. When we took a trip to see Yellowstone in 2006 when Eric was 26, we stopped in at the mountain men rendezvous and enjoyed the experience with him.

Eric was a hard worker and loved work, starting off at Scott’s Drive In on 3500 South, then on to Convergys, where he was working when he decided to buy his first house. Those plans were suddenly put on hold when they downsized and let his whole department go. He moved back in with Dad and Mom as his apartment was the last in line for being remodeled and he couldn’t keep living there. Eric quickly found a better job within a month, with Comcast, and he reached out to his realtor to find out the house was still available and he was able to just step right back into the closing process. Eric invited his younger brother Evan to move in with him. At Comcast Eric was highly esteemed, and was a master at Excel.

Eric loved Karaoke, with Louis Armstrong and Frank Sinatra songs as some of his favorites.

Eric was an avid gamer, playing Warcraft, Fallout, Cyberpunk, Ghostbusters, Star Wars Old Republic, and Dungeons & Dragons. He made many friends through his gaming.

There will be a celebration of life on November 2nd, 2024, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 3900 S, 4000 W, West Valley City, Utah, 84120.

Eric is survived by his parents Gary & Julie (Trusty) Smith, Mesa, Arizona, his two younger brothers and spouse, niece & nephew, Nathan & Jennie (Starr) Smith, Madison Smith, Scott Smith, Millcreek, Utah, and Evan Smith, West Valley City Utah, and numerous Uncles, Aunts, and cousins.