Toombs Milton Smith was known for his cheerful outlook, warm tender heart, upbeat, kind, and generous nature. He always stood up for people who needed help. Anything he enjoyed was always given an enthusiastic two thumbs up. No matter how challenging times were, he didn’t give up and kept working to reach better days.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alice Norris Smith (Peewee) and Ivy Milton Smith; his sister, Janice Smith Pethel; and his baby brother, Keith Ivy Smith. Toombs is survived by his sister, Cynthia Alice Smith Barrett; his niece, Ivy M. Smith Schlegel (Bill) and her children Megan, Michael, and Madison; his nephew, Sterling Ryan Grady Smith (Jamie) and his children Grady and Gracie; and Janice’s surviving children, Christopher and Stacey. He also leaves behind lifelong friends Eddie Van Buren and his sister Sherry Van Buren Conklin.

Raised in Cochran, GA, Toombs graduated from Cochran High School in 1962, where he was a trumpeter with the marching band. He was a member of the Cochran First Methodist Church.

Toombs cherished many fond memories, including playing outside with neighborhood children, selling snowballs (often giving more away than selling), swinging from trees (resulting in a few broken bones), playing the trumpet, telling ghost stories to his younger sister and her friends, being an excellent pool player, painting, writing poetry, fishing with Eddie (even when the catch was modest), and participating in neighborhood talent shows.

In his professional life, Toombs was a leading salesman in the insurance industry, winning Combined Insurance’s Grand Diamond Award, the highest recognition one can receive. He was honored to play trumpet with Don Ho in 1968 for Combined Insurance’s founder, W. Clement Stone, in Hawaii, after being awarded the trip for top salesman. Toombs mentored Brad Jones in the industry and wrote over 20 Eagles for Family Heritage Life Insurance after its merger with Combined Insurance. He received numerous awards and trips for sales excellence throughout his career.

In more recent years, Toombs moved to Jasper, GA, to be closer to his sister Cynthia and then to PruittHealth in Savannah to remain nearby after her relocation. He loved it when Cynthia brought her two Pomeranians, Baby Girl and Loki, to visit. No matter what, she always brought him his favorite treats.

Toombs was an artist, wrote poetry, and published a collection of his poems entitled The Spirit of Hope. He admired his father, a politician; his mother, who inspired a deep dream in writing; and his sister, a dedicated teacher who took great care of Toombs in his later years. He called Cynthia “Grasshopper” and described her as “Love in Action” and the “Angel by His Bedside.” He’s fondly remembered for being quite mischievous.

One of his favorite quotes was, “When God shows up, He shows out.”

So, in his own words as he ended one of his last phone messages to Cynthia, “Gotta Go, Gotta Fly. The Eagle’s in the Sky.”

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you honor Toombs memory by planting a tree or shrub.