Retired Maj. William (Bill) Armstrong Smyth, 79, of Raleigh, North Carolina, passed away Jan. 30, 2021. Bill was born Jan 8, 1942, in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated from Washburn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1965.
Bill married Karen Elizabeth Sprague May 16, 1987. He is survived by his wife 33 years; son Jason Philip Smyth, and his wife Chelsea Smyth of Raleigh; daughter Samantha Marie Smyth, Springfield, Virginia; sister Melissa McGuire and nephew Michael Philip McGuire of Evansville, Indiana; and nephew Brian David McGuire and his wife Stephanie McGuire and their daughters Ireland and Zoey McGuire of Rockton, Illinois. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Gen. Philip William Smyth and Ethel Catherine Patterson Smyth.
Bill worked as a program manager for the Bureau of Labor Statistics in Washington D.C. for 31 years. During and prior to his government service, he was a major in the Army National Guard.
Bill was an avid fisherman, with a yearly trip to the Outer Banks with family and friends for many years. He was a lifelong fan of the Kansas Jayhawks and was also active in the community with the Boy Scouts of America for many years.
The family is holding a private ceremony, with plans for a celebration of life event to be held on the one-year anniversary of his passing. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Parkinsons Foundation or the Museum of the Kansas National Guard.https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/raleigh-nc/william-smyth-10032193/add-memory