Brother Denis Pingree Smith Passes

 

It is with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved neighbor and ward family member,  Brother Denis Pingree Smith. He will be missed.  His fervent testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon, his wisdom, his stories, his willingness to share, and his outspoken perspectives made him a standout among his fellow travelers in life's journey. 

Obituary

Denis Pingree Smith

February 25, 1939-July 26, 2025

Denis Pingree Smith was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on February 25, 1939 to Joseph Fielding and Ruth Pingree Smith. He was the middle child of seven. He grew up in Salt Lake City and Centerville, Utah, and Honolulu, Hawaii, where he graduated from Punahou High School before leaving for the mainland to attend college at the University of Utah. 

In 1959, he was called to serve a 2-year, LDS mission to the British Isles, where he served in England and Ireland under three different mission presidents as the mission split twice during his service. 

Denis enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1963 and was top of his class at Field Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in 1964. He married Nancy Lingler in 1965 in the Laie, Hawaii LDS temple. They had five children together. In almost 25 years of marriage, Denis and Nancy moved their family 16 times as Denis served two tours of duty in Vietnam, and later became a commercial airline pilot for the likes of Wien Air Alaska, Saudia Airlines, America West Airlines and United Airlines, retiring in 1999.

From 1989 to 2014, Denis was married to Ruth B. Waggoner and they lived in Golden, Colorado. 

In 2018, Denis moved to Cedar Hills, Utah where he worked as a school bus driver for the Alpine School District until last year when he experienced some health problems. He passed away on July 26, 2025, at the age of 86, from sudden cardiac arrest.

Denis is survived by his five children: Shauna Zukle, Kevin (Liz) Smith, Ida Anderson, Denis (Denise) Smith, and Marshall (Alison) Smith. He also leaves behind former spouses Nancy Lingler Smith, Ruth B. Smith, siblings R.P. Joe Smith and Pauline S.J. Zaugg, as well as 15 grandchildren, 4 (soon to be 5) great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Denis will be missed. His family is grateful that they will see him again through the atonement of Jesus Christ. “Aloha Oe, until we meet again.”