Dave Charles Smith, 80, of Ukiah California, passed away peacefully at his residence, August 18th, 2022.
Biography
Birthdate: July 19, 1942
Location of Birth: Sacramento, CA
Military service: National Guard - Fort Ord and Fort Polk, LA, Infantry, Company P, First Battalion
Married: First Marriage to Kristen Larson and birth of son Joshua Smith, Second Marriage - Beverly Todd (divorced), stepson Aaron Burns
Family

Predeceased by his Mother Lena Odermatt 2018 at age 102; Father Orville Charles Smith 2004 age 90; Sister Sylvia Joy Smith 2006 age 62.
Survived by son Joshua (Erin) Smith, granddaughter Tenzin Adeline Smith. Residing Bozeman Montana. Sisters Charlene Granse, Palo Alto, CA. Rebecca Fuentes, Redwood City CA. Brother Daniel Smith, Redwood City CA. Dave is also survived by 4 nieces Carrie, Kim, Danielle, Jessica; 6 nephews John, Nick, Zoey, Pablo Jr., Micael, and Joey.

Dave Smith was raised in the South as part of a fervent Pentecostal family. He became the president of his local college's young Christian Club before serving as an infantry man and trumpet player in the National Guard. Dave's upbringing lead to a life-long quest of free-thinking and he became a voracious consumer of literature. He surrounded himself with thought-challenging figures and creative thinkers. Dave's greatest inspirational thought leaders were Mahatma Ghandi, Leo Tolstoy, and Cesar Chavez.

Dave often spoke of a defining moment in his life, in the early 1970s, when he sold his Porsche and went to work as an executive assistant and database programmer for Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union, for room, board, and five dollars a week. Inspired by that experience, Dave would become a key figure in the organic movement. This was blended with his great passion for "sustainable business," which he defined as "providing work that enriches our own lives and the lives of all others the world over." He believed that business driven by the common values of responsibility, compassion, and service to humanity can help make the world a better place. He served on the board of Ecology Action, co-founded Briarpatch Natural Foods in Menlo Park, then co-founded Smith & Hawken in Palo Alto and ultimately brought his ideals as CEO and other leadership roles with organizations such as SelfCare Catalog, Seeds of Change, Real Goods, and Diamond Organics.

In Dave's book "To Be of Use: The Seven Seeds of Meaningful Work", he shares the stories of Creative Action Heroes whose lives inspired him and proved that the values of sustainable living can be more fully realized for all of us.

In Mendocino County, California, where he made his home starting in Yorkville in 1994 and then Ukiah, CA in 2001, he gained many friends and associates through his service on the boards of directors for Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op and as co-founder of the Mendocino Organic Network.

Dave remained socially and actively involved in downtown Ukiah through his bookstore and postal Annex - Mulligan Books where many of Dave's friends knew that they could always find a welcoming smile, an organic cup of tea, conversation, and a good book.

Service Information

An intimate celebration of life will be held under a redwood tree for Dave on September 9th, 2022 at 5:30pm at Todd Grove Park in Ukiah, CA. The gathering will be held in the park near the entrance nearest the intersection of Grove Ave and Live Oak Ave.

Special Messages
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to Ecology Action via http://www.growbiointensive.org/giving/index.html 

Submitted By Walter "Buddy" Bernard

Published by Ukiah Daily Journal on Sep. 4, 2022 see link below.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/ukiahdailyjournal/name/dave-smith-obituary?id=36412707