COFFEE BLUFF - Benjamin V. "Ben" Smith, 88, died Sunday, June 10, 2012 in Savannah, GA.

Mr. Smith was born in Statesboro, GA on December 16, 1923, the son of the late Sylvester S. and Josephine Boatright Smith. He attended school until the age of 16 at which time he enlisted in the United States Army. During his military tenure, December 1939 – September 1945, he served as a Paratrooper with the 550th Infantry, Airborne - Division Recon during World War II and jumped over the Rhine on March 24, 1945 – Operation Varsity. He worked for approximately 20 years for Raymond International, Concrete Pile Division as a Operating Engineer. He was Vice President and co-owner of Charleston Contractors Equipment, Inc., a pile driving company, from 1973 until his retirement in 1985. He formed the first skin diving scuba club along the Coast of Georgia and represented the City of Savannah in the underwater search for the SS Savannah off the coast of Fire Island, NY. He was a member of Solomon's Lodge No. 1, F. & A.M.

Mr. Smith was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Elizabeth Russom Smith and by his daughter Phyllis Dixon Smith. He is survived by his son, Bobby E. Smith and wife Teresa; daughter, Deborah Karimi and husband Jorge; grandchildren, Stephanie Simmons, Lori Bunn, Jennifer Dempsey, Brent Smith, Michelle Dawson and Michael Karimi; 13 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel.

The graveside funeral service will take place at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Greenwich Section of Bonaventure Cemetery.

Remembrances may be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, 383 Main Ave., 5th floor, Norwalk, CT 06851 www.themmrf.org or the Melanoma Research Foundation, PO Box 759329, Baltimore, MD 21275-9329 www.melanoma.org.