Gregory Smith

Gregory Albert Smith
June 3rd 1958-March 11th 2021

Greg "Smitty" Smith, 62, a loving father, grandfather, brother, friend, chef, artist, storyteller, and life of the party, made his transition Thursday morning, March 11th with his loving family and friends by his side after spending one last "rambunctious" night, as Smitty was never one to miss a good party.

Greg was born in Oceanside CA on June 3,1958 to Darwin and Rita. Greg was on the move as a child, as he lived between California, Hawaii, and ultimately settled in Pocatello, ID where, according to Greg, he shattered every known basketball, football, and track record at Alameda Jr. High. He went on to star in athletics while attending Highland High School where his football talents became evident. He earned a scholarship to Idaho State University where he was an award winning receiver and was inducted into the ISU hall of fame in 2015. More so than his football ability, it is arguable that his greatest talent was gaining the respect and love of the many lifelong friends that Smitty truly cherished.

Following college, Smitty opened a Mama Inez restaurant in Twin Falls where he was able to showcase his culinary skills and cultivate lifelong friendships. After closing Mama Inez, he opened a new restaurant called Señor Ceasar's.

Greg was an all around great chef, and his most popular dishes included chicken jalapeño, cream cheese crab, and his delectable salsas.
In 2007 Greg moved to Las Vegas where he worked and managed numerous restaurants, and, in typical Smitty fashion, gained the admiration of everyone he encountered. In 2012 he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer and was given 18 months to live. He moved back to Pocatello in order to spend the remaining time with friends and family. Greg, being the fighter he was, refused to believe that he would not be able to raise his son or see his grandchildren grow. While receiving treatment, he coached his youngest son Brogan's basketball and football teams while working at one his favorite places, The Pressbox.

Greg enjoyed his "18 months" over a period of 9 years of living his best life. He took trips to NFL games, the Bahamas, Hawaii, California, Texas, and chaperoned the American Heritage Tour back East.

Moving back to Pocatello reignited many of Smitty's passions. These included spending time with lifelong friends, watching his grandson's sporting events, and fine tuning his painting skills.

However, for all of the great things we can say about Greg, his best talent was building relationships and making friends. Greg is survived by his siblings Barry (Sherri) Smith, Juanita (Jim) Bryant, Wiley (MaryAnn) Smith, Rita Marie (Daniel) Chavez, sons Ryan (Emily) Smith, Conor Smith, Dunken Smith (Jasman), Brogan Smith, and grandsons Crete and Colson Smith. He was preceded in death by his parents Darwin and Rita.

Rather than a funeral, Smitty wished to have one last party at The Pressbox amongst all of his favorite people. 2:00 on Saturday, the 20th of March….Come celebrate a man who could make you smile and would never give up.

Greg had two last pieces of advice….
1.) Just go with it
2.) Be honest

Memories and condolences may be shared with the family under the "Tribute Wall" tab above.