Bryan Smith

Bryan George Smith

1934 - 2016

Bryan George Smith passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family March 28, 2016. Bryan was born February 22, 1934, in Stockport, England to George Bryan Smith and Lois Greene Smith.

Bryan grew up with a love for his parents, his elder sister Lois, and a curious spirit. Despite attending school through only the eighth grade, Bryan had a sharp wit and a remarkable memory. He was able to recall not only every address and telephone number he ever had, but never forgot someone’s name. Bryan joined the British Army at 18. He served in Libya, Tunisia, and near Paderborn, Germany.

It was in Germany, on November 26, 1953, he met his love, Klare Balluff. At the time, Bryan did not speak German, and Klare did not speak English. It was love at first sight and they had to use an English-German dictionary to communicate.  Klare followed Bryan back to England, where they were married on November 26, 1955, exactly two years to the day they met.

Bryan worked as a green grocer as he began his new life with Klare. They soon began to grow their family, first with their sons George, then Christian – who died at birth, then Mark, and finally their daughter Tina. The passing of their son Christian left Bryan and Klare yearning for more, and they found that with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bryan was sealed to Klare on October 22, 1960, in the London, England LDS Temple.

Not long after joining the church, Bryan was called to be a branch president. Bryan also served as the first bishop of the Stockport ward. Bryan visited Salt Lake City, Utah several times to attend LDS General Conference. After Bryan’s father and Klare’s mother passed, the young couple knew their life would head in a new path and decided to move to Salt Lake City with George, Mark, and Tina in 1964.

Bryan and Klare moved to America with eight suitcases of belongings and $2,000. Bryan loved to celebrate the anniversary of the days the family arrived in their new country, affectionately dubbed as “Smith Day.”

Bryan and Klare first settled in Murray, Utah. Within six years they moved to their dream home on Maurice Drive, in Holladay, Utah. Bryan initially found work, again as a green grocer, with "Macey’s". Later, Bryan owned a grocery store, "The Big Apple", located in Holladay, Utah. Bryan possessed a strong work ethic, which he engrained in all of his children. Bryan believed you should always, “do it right, or you’ll do it twice.”

One of Bryan’s proudest moments was when he and his family became American citizens on May 1, 1972. After selling "The Big Apple", Bryan joined Prudential Life Insurance, where he worked until he retired, more than twenty-five years later.

Bryan cared for Klare throughout her long battle with diabetes, until her passing in 1989. Bryan always had a spark in his eye when it came to Klare. Bryan had a habit of spinning his wedding ring as he vividly recalled, for his grandchildren, his beautiful memories of their Oma Klare.

Bryan was again blessed with love when he met Charlene Landis. Bryan and Charlene were married in Salt Lake City, Utah, on June 30, 1990. Together Bryan and Charlene built a family, with several of Charlene’s ten children living with them. Bryan served as a cook in the army and continued to love to cook for his family. Bryan loved making sure the boys started the day with a good breakfast, and Sunday dinner with his family was his favorite meal each week.

Bryan and Charlene met late in life and proceeded to experience a very full and rewarding life together. Bryan supported Charlene as she furthered her nursing career. Bryan and Charlene found immense joy in the simplest times together – trying new restaurants, watching the sunset, serving several inner city missions, and being a listening ear for one another. Bryan and Charlene loved to travel together. They had hoped to have many more adventures together and had just created a five-year plan of all the things they wanted to do.

Bryan loved all of his family, and they loved him. Bryan will be remembered for his kindness, his quick capacity to love, his amazing memory, his ability to tell the perfectly timed joke, and his passion for the ones he loved. Bryan had a unique ability to make the person he was with feel as though they were his favorite. Since Bryan’s passing, it has been brought to his family’s attention that he told each family member that they were his favorite – and they all believed him.

Bryan found joy in knowing he raised fiercely independent and uniquely individual children. Had he known the joy his grandchildren would bring him, he probably would have had them first. Bryan loved being an Opa and a Grandfather. He had such a passion and love for each of his 33 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Bryan is preceded in death by his parents George and Lois Smith, his sister Lois Smith, his wife Klare, his son Christian, and his son Mark. Bryan is survived by his wife Charlene Landis Smith. He is survived by his son George (Leslie) Smith and his daughter Tina LaRocque. Bryan’s love extended to his new family, he is also survived by Charlene’s children Debroah (Cliff) Mair, Carol McKenny, Sean Paul (Melissa) Atriedes, Dan George, David (Julie) George, Nalani (Dave) Kimball, Benjamin (Heather) George, Shawn (Jessica) Gezorge, Michael (Charity) Landis, and Jonathan (Niki) George. And, of course, his beloved four-legged friend and constant companion, Scotty, will miss Bryan.

Funeral services will be held Friday, April 1, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. at the Wasatch Stake Center, 8170 S. Shorthills Drive (3425 E.). Friends and loved ones may visit on Thursday, March 31, 2016, at Cannon Mortuary, 2460 E. Bengal Blvd. (7600 S.) from 6:00-8:00 p.m and at the stake center from 10:00-10:45 a.m. on the day of the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you take time to reach out to someone with whom you have not recently spoken, or to perform an act of kindness. These actions would have meant the most to Bryan.

Funeral Recording