Hal Smith peacefully passed away at his Greenville home on the evening of Friday, April 11, 2025, in the presence of his wife and son.
 
Hal was born in Chattanooga, TN, on July 22, 1939, to Hal Smith, Sr, and Ruth Simmons Smith. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1962 with a BS degree in Chemical Engineering. He moved to the North Carolina coast to begin his professional career, first at Riegel Pulp and Paper Company, and later at the Sweetwater Experimental Ocean Water Desalination Plant. In 1964, in Wilmington, NC, Hal met and married his wife of 61 years, Jennifer Davis Smith. In 1967, the couple welcomed their son Kevin. The family relocated to Charlotte, NC, where Hal worked in research and development for Fiber Industries/ Celanese. He later transferred to the Greenville, SC plant, where he spent the rest of his professional career until retirement.
 
Hal had a kind and generous nature. He was free with his time and skills. He enjoyed helping family members, neighbors, and members of his church community with anything from home repair to car repair. He was an early member of the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and held several leadership positions.   He was also an early supporter of Upstate Forever, a regional nonprofit environmental conservation organization.  His altruism even extended outside of the country. Over the years, Hal and his wife sponsored many international students from France, Turkey, Germany, Austria and Togo. 
 
Hal’s sense of humor was well-known and enjoyed by his friends, family, and coworkers. He enjoyed making others laugh, no matter the situation. Even in declining health, he never lost his ability to make others smile.
 
Hal was an avid lover of outdoor activities and water sports. He enjoyed sailing, water skiing, kayaking, and especially whitewater rafting. His love of water took him all over the US, from North and South Carolina to West Virginia and Arizona. Through these activities, he made many lasting friendships. Hal also enjoyed working with his hands. He was a skilled woodworker and a member of the Greenville Woodworkers Guild.
 
Hal is survived by his wife, Jennifer, his son, Kevin, his sisters-in-law, Margaret Smith, Ellen Davis and Kathryn Wolfe, and four nieces and a nephew. He was predeceased by his parents and two brothers, Kenneth and Dennis Smith. 
 
A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10th, at the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1135 State Park Road, Greenville, SC 29609.  If you are unable to attend, a livestream will be available here: https://youtube.com/live/Wu9p7Sjls34?feature=share.
Those wishing to do so may make a contribution in Hal’s memory to Upstate Forever, 507 Pettigru Street, Greenville, SC 29601 (https://www.upstateforever.org/) or the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, P.O. Box 4518, Greenville, SC 29608 (https://greenvilleuu.org/).