Colonel B.E. Smith Jr., USAR, retired, 94, passed away Friday, October 12, 2012 at the VA Medical Center in Dublin. Funeral services will be held on Monday, October 15, 2012 at 11:00 am, at the First Baptist Church, Dublin. Dr. Cliff Morris will officiate. Prior to the funeral service, visitation will be held at 10:00 am, at the church. Graveside services with full military honors will be held at Bull Creek Baptist Church cemetery, Claxton, Georgia at 4:00 pm. Dr. Tab Smith will officiate. Following the graveside service, visitation will be in the Bull Creek Baptist Church social hall. Colonel Smith was born January 29, 1918 at Daisy, Evans County, Georgia. He was the son of the late Bernice E. Smith Sr. and Zena Lee DeLoach Smith and also preceded in death by his brother Lyman Smith, all of Daisy, Georgia. B.E. graduated from Claxton High School in 1934, attended Gordon Military College in Barnesville, Georgia and Georgia Southern in Statesboro formerly Georgia Teachers College receiving his Associate Degree in 1936. He then moved to Atlanta and graduated from Draughn's School of Commerce. While working for the War Department, he attended the University of Georgia evening college in Atlanta and was drafted by the US Army in 1941. Colonel Smith began his military career at Fort Benning, Georgia in the US Army Infantry and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He served in Europe during World War II, was awarded the Bronze Star and Combat Infantry Badge for action in the Battle of the Bulge. He served 35 years in the Army and Army Reserve and was promoted to Colonel in August 1969. Colonel Smith was inducted into the Fort Benning OCS Hall of Fame in April 2000. B.E. lived most of his life in Dublin, and retired from the State Department of Revenue as regional manager of the Macon region. He was a faithful member and deacon of First Baptist Church in Dublin, where he was a member of the C.D. Graves Sunday School Class, a member of the Friendship Group, as well as serving on various committees. After retirement, B.E. and Margaret enjoyed traveling and spending time at their home on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, Canada and their cabin on the Sapelo River at Pine Harbor, Georgia. Survivors include his wife of 67 years Margaret C. Smith, five sons Stephen (Debra) Smith, Jeffrey Smith and Tim Smith of Dublin, Craig (Lynn) Smith of Savannah, and Gary (Jean) Smith of Eastman; personal caregivers Georgiann Paisley and Queen Broom of Dublin; twelve grandchildren; Derek (Kristle) Smith, Lori Wilson and Brad (Maranda) Smith of Dublin, Holly (Jeffrey) LaFrance of Oxford, Connecticut, Ashley (Philip) Mobley of Woodstock, Heather Taylor of Roswell, Clint Smith and Brittney Harkins of Savannah, Jason Smith of Collins, Sandi (Daniel) Collins of Cobbtown, Andrew (Amanda) Smith of Searcy, Arkansas, and Shelby Burnham of Eastman; 12 great-grandchildren and sister Priscilla (Bill) Hearn of Daisy, Georgia. Derek Smith, Brad Smith, Clint Smith, Jason Smith, Andrew Smith, Jeffrey LaFrance, Philip Mobley, and Daniel Collins will serve as pallbearers. The Deacons of First Baptist Church in Dublin will serve as honorary pallbearers. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the First Baptist Church, building fund, 405 Bellevue Ave., Dublin, GA 31021 or Bull Creek Baptist Church, general fund, 549 Bull Creek Church Road, Claxton, GA 30417. Townsend Brothers Funeral Home of Dublin and Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home of Claxton will be in charge of arrangements.