Stanley Smith of South Haven died Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, at his home. He was 84.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1-3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, at Johnson Hagglund Funeral and Cremation in Litchfield, with sharing of memories at 2 p.m.
Stanley Smith, the son of Norman and Harriet (Ashwill) Smith, was born on Jan. 29, 1941, in Minneapolis.
He attended grade school in the French Lake Country School and graduated from Kimball High School.
Stanley was united in marriage to Joyce Myllykangas on April 29, 1961, in Kingston, after their first date on Valentine’s Day in 1959. They were fortunate enough to spend 66 Valentine’s Days together. They raised their five children in Annandale and South Haven and lived on Lake Francis for 48 years.
Stanley became a carpenter while he was in high school, and over the years he built many homes and apartment buildings. He was also a heavy equipment operator and worked on many road building projects. Stanley was an “all around mechanic” and could build anything from the ground up. When he was 15-years-old, he built an automobile starting with a frame, fabricated the body and chassis and made a one-of-a-kind custom car. In his later years, he built a full-size stagecoach for his family to enjoy riding around the Lake Francis area where many memories were made. He enjoyed tinkering with projects and lending a hand to anyone that asked for help. Stanley was a wordsmith and loved to playfully argue; often turning the conversation on a whim. He grew massive gardens and tormented his family and friends with his spicy food. He enjoyed spending time with his family and grandchildren and was a humble man. He deeply missed his wife Joyce, after her passing in April 2025, one week shy of their 64th wedding anniversary.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Joyce; daughter Tammy Steffes; siblings Carol Jean Hendrickson, Betty Angermeier, Alice Erickson, and Lucy Mansicka; daughter-in-law Kimberlee Smith.
Stanley is survived by his children Todd Smith of St. Cloud, Terry (and Tom) Smith of Victoria, Troy (and Janice) Smith of South Haven and Tanya (and Jared) Dahnke of Clearwater. He is also survived by 15 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; sisters Shirley Hendrickson, Marly Harbinson and Darlene (and Ron) Lampi.