Rex Smith, age 71, died Oct. 11 at his Poulsbo residence.

He was born March 23, 1931 in Findlay, Ohio to Donald and Mary (Baldwin) Smith.

He married Betty Strauss in Lancaster, Calif., in 1954 while he was an aircraft mechanic working for Chance-Vaught Aircraft Company. The couple moved to Chicago to allow Rex to complete course work he had begun through correspondence. That led to work at Motorola Company in Chicago and later to work at Boeing in Seattle.

The family came to Bainbridge Island in 1964 when he began work at Keyport as a torpedo mechanic. They moved to Poulsbo in 2001.

He enjoyed the outdoors, where he cut wood and built bird and squirrel feeders and fishponds.

He is survived by his wife Betty and two sons, Kerry “Smitty” and Marty Smith, of Poulsbo.

Memorial services will be held at 4 p.m. Oct. 22 at Bainbridge First Baptist Church. Ken Wymer will be the officiant.

Arrangements were under the direction of Kass Funeral Home, Bainbridge Island.