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Tim Smith
Timothy John Smith was born on Thursday, December 27, 1951 in Fullerton California. He was the son of Lawrence and Esther Smith . Tim was one of eight siblings, Marilyn, Larry, Richard, Raymond, Teresa, and John and Eddie who preceded Tim in 2008.
Tim grew up in Fullerton and attended St Pius V parish in Buena Park. His love of God was evident from an early age. I was told that his mom made him a priest outfit when he was a boy so he could pretend to say mass. He spent four years in seminary but discerned he was being called to a different kind of ministry. His call was to religious instruction, especially focused on the youth. He worked at St. Helen’s church in Los Angeles, Damien High School in Pomona and St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs. Tim then moved right here to Our Lady of the Valley parish as the Director of Religious Education for 5 years, driving back and forth to Crestline every day. Tim taught religion, worked in campus and youth ministry, and was liturgy coordinator among his many other roles and duties.
In 2002 Tim had a major stroke. Tim was not supposed to survive that stroke but with the Grace of God and so many students, family and friends praying for him, miraculously survived. Tim was down but not out. His family and friends nursed him back. He eventually regained the use of his arms and legs and was walking before too long. In 2004, Tim heard there was an opening for a religion teacher at Servite High School. He took the bus to his interview and had all his family and friends praying that he would get the job. Ray Dunn hired Tim and he began teaching religion for the 2004-2005 school year. I started working at Servite in December of that same year.
I never knew Tim Smith before his stroke. I only knew the humble servant, with the giant heart who loved to work and minister to the youth. I first got to know Tim the following year at back to school night. My son had Tim for religion. Tim sought my wife and I out and told us how much he loved our son and loved having him as a student. As my son was a bit spirited… I think this was the first time a teacher ever told us that about son. But that was Tim. He saw the good in every young man and made them feel loved and important. From that moment on Tim and I became fast friends.
In 2007 Tim, me and three others became third order or Secular Servites and started our own community at the high school. Tim was elected our first prior, served our community for 6 years and helped grow our community to over 20 members. Tim also served as a member of the national council for two years until health issues forced him to step down.
Tim’s stroke left with him many health issues including diabetes and two failing kidneys. Over time, Tim had to have regular dialysis and was put on the list for a new kidney. Tim bore his illness in stride, never complaining, drawing strength from his faith and the prayers of many of his friends and family. Most people are on the transplant list for two years. Not Tim… he was on the transplant list for two weeks. After Tim received his new kidney he had a new lease on life, and more importantly no more dialysis. Tim returned to the classroom but the anti-rejection drugs were causing him a lot of issues including shaky hands and severe drowsiness. It became clear that he would have to transition from teaching and while he grieved the loss of teaching he gracefully moved from the classroom to campus ministry and finished out his time at Servite ministering to students.
Tim loved campus ministry and loved leading retreats, giving talks and leading reflections. Tim always lead a group on our Kairos retreats and prided himself on how long his group would go on sharing their faith, sometimes until 2:00 in the morning. Tim’s groups always met outside at the tennis courts at the retreat center, no matter the weather, the light from the stars and one lone candle setting the mood. It didn’t matter how bad he felt, he never missed a retreat or an opportunity to minister to one of the boys.
In 2013 after several long stays in the hospital, Tim retired from Sevite. Tim was loved and adored by the staff and young men of Servite. Upon his retirement a Chalice with his name engraved on it was purchased and is used at every school mass. Over the last 5 years Tim would spend almost 2 years of that time in and out of the hospital from various infections, eventually leading to the loss of his leg. But Tim never lost his faith. Even without a leg Tim still zipped around Hemet on his scooter attending mass and helping out where he could. He made many friends and Camelot and touched many hearts. He went into the hospital one last time toward the end of April and he went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. He was 66 years old.
Tim was a living example of what it means to live a faith filled life. I am not sure I could have endured what he had to endure and soldier on for the greater glory of God. But that was the Tim that I came to admire, love and respect.
Tim loved lighthouses. His room was full of them and he even had one painted on his artificial leg. He asked us to play the song “my lighthouse” that was played right before mass. The song lyrics give a small glimpse into what they meant to Tim
My Lighthouse
In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won't walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
I won't fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I'll rise and sing
My God's love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
While his health was always a cross to bear, he never let it deter him from his life's mission of preaching the gospel. Tim was an original. He was not governed by convention or a written set of guidelines. Tim was governed by his love of others, his love of God and an overwhelming urgency to make God known and loved by others. Like a modern day Johnny Appleseed, he went from place to place and person to person planting the seeds of faith everywhere he went and with every student he taught. He made faith relevant, fun and meaningful and no matter where you were on your journey, that is where he met you. A wise man once said, you can count the seeds in an apple but you can never count the apples in a seed. Just in his time at Servite he made an impact on over 2,000 students.
Sometimes, there are people who walk into and out of our lives quietly, seemingly unnoticed. These are often the people we miss the most and who leave the biggest impression on our lives. Like many of the saints of old who were unregarded during their lifetime, their example lives on in the lives they touched.
Tim, you have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. "Well done good and faithful servant." Love you brother...
Written by James Carter, Tim's very good friend.
Timothy John Smith was born on Thursday, December 27, 1951 in Fullerton California. He was the son of Lawrence and Esther Smith . Tim was one of eight siblings, Marilyn, Larry, Richard, Raymond, Teresa, and John and Eddie who preceded Tim in 2008.
Tim grew up in Fullerton and attended St Pius V parish in Buena Park. His love of God was evident from an early age. I was told that his mom made him a priest outfit when he was a boy so he could pretend to say mass. He spent four years in seminary but discerned he was being called to a different kind of ministry. His call was to religious instruction, especially focused on the youth. He worked at St. Helen’s church in Los Angeles, Damien High School in Pomona and St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs. Tim then moved right here to Our Lady of the Valley parish as the Director of Religious Education for 5 years, driving back and forth to Crestline every day. Tim taught religion, worked in campus and youth ministry, and was liturgy coordinator among his many other roles and duties.
In 2002 Tim had a major stroke. Tim was not supposed to survive that stroke but with the Grace of God and so many students, family and friends praying for him, miraculously survived. Tim was down but not out. His family and friends nursed him back. He eventually regained the use of his arms and legs and was walking before too long. In 2004, Tim heard there was an opening for a religion teacher at Servite High School. He took the bus to his interview and had all his family and friends praying that he would get the job. Ray Dunn hired Tim and he began teaching religion for the 2004-2005 school year. I started working at Servite in December of that same year.
I never knew Tim Smith before his stroke. I only knew the humble servant, with the giant heart who loved to work and minister to the youth. I first got to know Tim the following year at back to school night. My son had Tim for religion. Tim sought my wife and I out and told us how much he loved our son and loved having him as a student. As my son was a bit spirited… I think this was the first time a teacher ever told us that about son. But that was Tim. He saw the good in every young man and made them feel loved and important. From that moment on Tim and I became fast friends.
In 2007 Tim, me and three others became third order or Secular Servites and started our own community at the high school. Tim was elected our first prior, served our community for 6 years and helped grow our community to over 20 members. Tim also served as a member of the national council for two years until health issues forced him to step down.
Tim’s stroke left with him many health issues including diabetes and two failing kidneys. Over time, Tim had to have regular dialysis and was put on the list for a new kidney. Tim bore his illness in stride, never complaining, drawing strength from his faith and the prayers of many of his friends and family. Most people are on the transplant list for two years. Not Tim… he was on the transplant list for two weeks. After Tim received his new kidney he had a new lease on life, and more importantly no more dialysis. Tim returned to the classroom but the anti-rejection drugs were causing him a lot of issues including shaky hands and severe drowsiness. It became clear that he would have to transition from teaching and while he grieved the loss of teaching he gracefully moved from the classroom to campus ministry and finished out his time at Servite ministering to students.
Tim loved campus ministry and loved leading retreats, giving talks and leading reflections. Tim always lead a group on our Kairos retreats and prided himself on how long his group would go on sharing their faith, sometimes until 2:00 in the morning. Tim’s groups always met outside at the tennis courts at the retreat center, no matter the weather, the light from the stars and one lone candle setting the mood. It didn’t matter how bad he felt, he never missed a retreat or an opportunity to minister to one of the boys.
In 2013 after several long stays in the hospital, Tim retired from Sevite. Tim was loved and adored by the staff and young men of Servite. Upon his retirement a Chalice with his name engraved on it was purchased and is used at every school mass. Over the last 5 years Tim would spend almost 2 years of that time in and out of the hospital from various infections, eventually leading to the loss of his leg. But Tim never lost his faith. Even without a leg Tim still zipped around Hemet on his scooter attending mass and helping out where he could. He made many friends and Camelot and touched many hearts. He went into the hospital one last time toward the end of April and he went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. He was 66 years old.
Tim was a living example of what it means to live a faith filled life. I am not sure I could have endured what he had to endure and soldier on for the greater glory of God. But that was the Tim that I came to admire, love and respect.
Tim loved lighthouses. His room was full of them and he even had one painted on his artificial leg. He asked us to play the song “my lighthouse” that was played right before mass. The song lyrics give a small glimpse into what they meant to Tim
My Lighthouse
In my wrestling and in my doubts
In my failures You won't walk out
Your great love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
I won't fear what tomorrow brings
With each morning I'll rise and sing
My God's love will lead me through
You are the peace in my troubled sea
While his health was always a cross to bear, he never let it deter him from his life's mission of preaching the gospel. Tim was an original. He was not governed by convention or a written set of guidelines. Tim was governed by his love of others, his love of God and an overwhelming urgency to make God known and loved by others. Like a modern day Johnny Appleseed, he went from place to place and person to person planting the seeds of faith everywhere he went and with every student he taught. He made faith relevant, fun and meaningful and no matter where you were on your journey, that is where he met you. A wise man once said, you can count the seeds in an apple but you can never count the apples in a seed. Just in his time at Servite he made an impact on over 2,000 students.
Sometimes, there are people who walk into and out of our lives quietly, seemingly unnoticed. These are often the people we miss the most and who leave the biggest impression on our lives. Like many of the saints of old who were unregarded during their lifetime, their example lives on in the lives they touched.
Tim, you have fought the good fight, you have finished the race, you have kept the faith. "Well done good and faithful servant." Love you brother...
Written by James Carter, Tim's very good friend.
JOHN SMITH - Monday June 11, 2018 via Condolence Message
No longer of this world but forever loved and missed.
Villa M Smith - Wednesday May 23, 2018 via Condolence Message
We are so sorry for your loss. May Our Lord give you peace as you go thru this difficult time.
Love, Paul & Connie Murphy
Love, Paul & Connie Murphy
Paul Murphy - Tuesday May 15, 2018 via Condolence Message
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