Services for Gerald Gayden Smith, of McComb, are 10 a.m.Saturday, July 25, at Central Baptist Church with burial in thefamily cemetery. The Revs. Bob Lynch and Randall Griffin willofficiate.

Visitation is Friday from 5 until 8 p.m. at Hartman-SharkeyFuneral Home in McComb and Saturday from 9 until 10 a.m. at thechurch.

Mr. Smith, 60, died July 22, 2009, at his residence following alengthy illness. He was born in Brookhaven on March 18, 1949, toVencie and Martiel Hilton Smith.

He was an accountant and business manager. He was a member ofCentral Baptist Church in McComb. The family and friends of Gaydenfind it hard to express how truly special he was. All haveexplained how they felt about Gayden in their own words, yet manyof their sentiments rang of a similar nature. Every single personwho has known him has been bettered because of it. Testimonies fromlifelong friends describe how he never spoke an ill word of anyone.He set a standard for how to treat others at an age when most weretoo insecure to show such patience and understanding. His wife isinfinitely grateful to Gayden for showing her how to live a trulyhappy life. He was an absolutely devoted husband, father andgrandfather. All that knew Gayden during his 20-year fight withParkinson’s Disease were amazed that when visiting him, he healedtheir soul, rather than the other way around. Everyone that hasknown him during his most troubling times has heard him declare, “I am the luckiest man on earth.” Gayden was an inspiration, asmile, a true demonstration of how to treat others. Many would sayhe was an angel on earth, but we know him as our Gayden, ourinspiration.

Preceding him in death were his father; and a sister, Vicki S.Ferguson.

Survivors are his mother, Martiel Hilton Hill, of Laurel; hiswife of 36 years, Meg Goodson Smith, of McComb; a son, JarrodGayden Smith and wife, Sarah, of Plaquemine, La.; a daughter,Lindsey S. Lemmons and husband, Scott, of Louisville; a sister,Nelda S. Warren and husband, Tommy, of Laurel; his sisters-in-lawand brothers-in-law, Nita Bailey and Howard, who was more like abrother than a brother-in-law, and Charlene Rickels and Larry, allof Tupelo; a brother-in-law, Tommy Goodson and Lucy, of BatonRouge, La.; his two grandchildren, Vicki Lynn Lemmons, ofLouisville, and Atticus Gayden Smith, of Plaquemine; and numerousnieces and nephews.

Pallbearers are Frank Key, Caleb Shaw, Collin Bowen, KevinBailey, Grant Stone, Rusty Carr, Patrick Gatlin and AnthonyGuy.

Honorary pallbearers are Kenny Lofton, Sherrill Wallace, KeithByrd, Johnny Mitchell Smith, Dave Langston, Johnny Vaughn, JohnPickens, Trent Smith, the Rev. Chad Bailey and the late ReidRushing.

Memorials may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation forParkinson Research, Church Street Station, P.O. Box 780, New York,N.Y. 10008-0707.

To share sympathies, condolences and memories, go toHartman-Sharkeyfuneralhome.com.