Four decades of service
Preacher, Firefighter, Veteran, on Tuesday Deerfield’s Bill Smith will add another title: retiree.
He has been the pastor at the Deerfield Church of God Holiness for almost four decades and has served as chief of the Deerfield Fire Department for the past two decades.
Smith moved from his native Arkansas to Broken Arrow, Okla., in third grade.
He returned to Arkansas after graduating high school and in 1966 he joined the U.S. Air Force. He trained as a jet engine maintainer servicing B-52 Stratofortresses and the KC-135 Stratotankers and deployed twice to Guam in support of operations in Vietnam.
“They were kind of glad to hear our bombers coming,” Smith said of the troops on the ground in Vietnam.
Smith completed his service with the Air Force in 1969 and returned home to Arkansas where he met and married Carol.
They stayed in Arkansas for another four years with Smith working in a machine shop and pastoring a church in Berryville.
“I felt a call to preach before I ever went into the Air Force,” Smith said, explaining that he had preached at several local churches since he was 16.
The Smiths moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., in 1975 so Bill could attend Nazarene Bible College.
They migrated to Deerfield in 1975, having been recruited by the church.
“First time I remember being in Deerfield, I came with my furniture,” Smith said. “Didn’t have any idea I’d stay this long.”
After 39 years as pastor of the Deerfield Church of God “Holiness,” Smith is retiring.
“Just felt like it was time to make a change,” Smith said. “I really hate to leave people here. They’ve been like family all these years.”
The church is not the only family Smith will say goodbye to next Tuesday.
Shortly after moving to Deerfield, Smith joined the fire department. Firefighters had gone to the state line on 54 Highway to put out a road painting truck that caught fire. Smith was asked if he could drive the department’s second truck to the scene. Ironically, he passed the other fire truck coming back to town for water — driven by the only firefighter that knew how to operate the pump on the truck Smith was driving.
Smith said he doesn’t have to do a lot as Chief these days, the firefighters know what they are doing.
His retirement has left big shoes to fill. The church does not yet have a full-time replacement and Smith was not sure who would succeed him as chief though a likely candidate was mentioned.
“I’m gonna miss the people at the church and I’ll miss the fire department,” Smith said.
As if raising a family, and looking after a church and fire department wasn’t enough, Smith has served as an alderman in Deerfield for more than two decades and as chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee for the past three years.
Smith’s family continues to grow as well. He is father to three, Greg, Kim and Jeff, and grandfather to four.
On Tuesday, Smith will finish moving into his new home in Carthage.
“Not sure what I’ll do down there,” Smith said. “I’ll find something to fill in time.”
One thing is for sure, fishing is on that list. Smith described bass fishing as, “not just something you sit down and do.”
Also on the list are more frequent trips to Colorado to see the grandchildren.
A farewell Bar-B-Que dinner is being held for the Smiths at the Deerfield Fire Department today, June 24, from 4-6 p.m.