Stanton (Stan) Smith (October 17, 1938 – December 15, 2016) retired from the Air National Guard in 1981 and from Northwest Airlines in 1998. Stan was a fighter pilot’s fighter pilot, an outstanding South Dakota Guardsman, and a true patriot.
Stan was born in Orange, New Jersey. While serving his country in Vietnam, he was a member of the F-100 Misty squadron. He flew F-100 and A-7 Fighters in the South Dakota Air National Guard, and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Stan’s passion for astronomy and flying led him to becoming a career pilot with Northwest Airlines, where he retired after 20 years of service.
Stan was an avid model train enthusiast and he enjoyed escaping from the cold Minnesota winters to Florida, particularly to his home in Punta Gorda and vacationing on Sanibel Island. Most of all, Stan loved his family and friends, lending a helping hand to his neighbors and cherishing time spent with his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Stan is survived by his loving wife, Carol; daughter, Andrea (Cal) Fogelman; sons, Michael (Terry) Smith, and Scott Smith; 11 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; sisters, Penny Mariani, Marian (John) Freeman, and Kim (John) Pflug.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 19921 Nightingale Street NW, Oak Grove. Visitation will be from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Private interment. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.