Doglas Gerald Smith Obituary (1958 - 1977)

Born Mar 17, 1958, Doglas Gerald Smith attended Charlevoix High School in Charlevoix, MI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Doglas Gerald Smith.

Graduation Year	Class of 1976
Date of Birth	Mar 17, 1958
Date of Passing	Jul 21, 1977
About	Funeral services for Douglas G. Smith, 19, who was drowned in a scuba diving accident off the end of the South Pier in Lake Michigan Wednesday afternoon, were held at St. Mary's Church Friday evening. The Rev. R. Dale Magoon officiated. Interment was in Brookside cemetery. Doug, son of Chief Robert J. Smith, U.S.C.G. (ret) and Mrs. Smith, was swimming with friends off the end of the pier and was giving a scuba diving lesson to a friend at mid-afternoon Wednesday. According to witnesses, he brought her to the surface, assisted her to the dock and submerged again. People on the dock saw bubbles from his tanks as he I went to the bottom in six to eight feet of water. Moments later they were no longer visible. Someone went down to see what was wrong and found him lying on the bottom with his tanks and other diving gear beside him. He was pulled to the surface where lifeguard, Erin Arvilla, worked on him until the ambulance arrived to take him to the Charlevoix Area Hospital where the staff continued to work with him until 5:40 p.m. The accident had happened shortly before 3:30 p.m. In the meantime, Lake Michigan had become choppy and his diving equipment was not recovered until the following day when Roger Bush, DNR Marine Safety officer, brought it up from the bottom. Chief of Police Jack R. Mol, who responded to the call, said there was no explanation for the accident. As far as could be determined there was no malfunction of the equipment. Doug was said to have been a certified diver and had been diving for the past four years. Born in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., March 17, 1958, he had at- tended various schools as his father went to Coast Guard assignments. The family came to Charlevoix from Cheboygan in 1967. Doug was graduated in 1976 from the Charlevoix High School where he played JV and Varsity football for four years. He had completed his freshman year at Grand Valley State College in Allendale where he was a member of the rowing team. Besides his parents, he is survived by his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Mae Smith of Antigo, Wis. The Smiths' only other child, a daughter, Keely, died four years ago of leukemia. The Winchester Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. The family suggests that anyone wishing to honor his memory contribute in Doug's name to the Charlevoix Area Hospital.