Darcy Landis Smith

“Colorful” would be the word to describe Darcy Landis Smith from his birth June 12, 1967 in a Baptist Tuberculosis hospital in Mbeya, Tanzania, East Africa, to his yellow Xterra and his favorite color red, and finally to his death running alone in the hills south of Loma Linda, California March 11, 2016. From the day of his birth he fought against medical problems, but never let that stop him from passionately following a multitude of interests and enthusiasms. Born without a stop button, to Darcy, anything worth doing, was worth overdoing, so he lived life at 120%. Slow to learn to walk, instead he learned to run which resulted in his funding years of emergency rooms for stitches to cover up his collisions. Ultimately his forehead was emblazoned with enough scars to give him a rather peculiar, unforgettable look. His childhood was spent in Tanzania; Fort Worth, Tx; Toronto, Ontario; and finally Singapore where he graduated from Far Eastern Academy. After two years at Andrews University in Michigan, he spent a year working at the Adventist World Radio station in Guam then graduated two years later from Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, MD with a major in communication. Then followed a year teaching English for a teachers’ college in Jilin, northeastern China. After returning to the U.S., Darcy worked for the Global Mission Department of the World Headquarters of Seventh-day Adventists as a writer, editor and graphic designer. On July 23, 1995 he married the love of his life, Carla Jane Bass. They moved to California where he spent over 10 years as a substitute teacher in Kings County. By that time he had added a 3 to his name, Darc3y, and always told the students the 3 was silent. He was famous among his students in the Hanford area where he was known as D3. Invariably adored by children, he loved them in return and was the world’s favorite playmate. Occasionally despaired of by adults, they nonetheless appreciated Darcy’s positive influence on those around him. He made people happy. He lived Christianity. Music was his abiding passion. From his earliest days beating on his mother’s kettles to his first drum, and later his keyboard, he composed, played and sang at every possible opportunity. Running was the one activity he thought he couldn’t live without. A lifelong runner, his first marathon was in Singapore. Heading out for a two and a half hour long jaunt of endless miles was his favorite pastime. He never carried a phone, and once in a while had to borrow one to call for help when he had run too far to get back home on his own. Carla stood ready to rescue him. If he was gone too long, she would go looking for him. When he did not return on March 11, she looked for him before calling 911. Then dozens of cousins and friends and strangers who only recognized his picture as a runner they had seen, searched the trails throughout much of Friday night and all day Saturday until finally his body was found late Saturday afternoon. Darcy leaves behind his parents, Calvin and Virginia Smith of Rogue River, OR; his adored wife Carla Smith; a sister, Jennifer Dill of Auburn Washington; two nieces, Jessica and Juliana Dill of Walla Walla, WA; an honorary brother, Bernhard Stepke of Indio, CA; an honorary nephew, Conrad Stepke of Indio, CA; five uncles, two aunts, 15 cousins and a host of other family members and friends. The funeral, under the direction of Sunset Funeral Care, will take place April 1 at Crosswalk Adventist Church, 10421 Corporate Drive, Redlands. Viewing for family and close friends will be at 9 am, the service at 10, and the Internment in Hillside Memorial Park at 12 noon. See more details on Darcy’s memorial Facebook page, Darc3y

Darcy Landis Smith

June 12, 1967 - March 11, 2016