Major Arthur R. Smith, retired U.S. Marine Corps, passed away on Feb. 23, 2011, in Rochester. Maj. Smith, a longtime San Diego, Calif. resident, recently moved to Michigan where his daughters, Carol S. Zimny and Liz Smith, live.

Maj. Smith was born on March 22, 1917, in Woburn, Ma. and became an amateur radio enthusiast (W6INI) at an early age. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps where he utilized his radio skills for three separate tours, eventually retiring in 1964 in San Diego with his wife, Fan, and their daughters.

His Marine Corps experiences included 1941-45 Pacific Theater and 1951-53 Korea. In between each tour, Maj. Smith worked for American Airlines in communications. While retired, Maj. Smith volunteered for many civic activities for the city and county of San Diego.

Memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, March 5, in Rickard Chapel, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 620 Romeo St., Rochester. The family will receive friends from 1:30 p.m. until the service. Later this year he will be interred at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, San Diego, alongside his wife, whom he married in 1941.

Surviving heirs include daughters, Carol (Stan) and Liz; grandchildren, Jennifer DeLong (Doug) and Matthew Zimny (Darlene) and three great grandchildren, Natalie and Katie DeLong, and Alexis Zimny. SEMPER FI!

Funeral arrangements and obituary provided by Pixley Funeral Home.