Garrett Smith Obituary

Garrett Lee Smith peacefully passed away on March 11, 2025. Garry was born in Fresno to Stanley and Lynda Smith on July 31, 1961 and was the oldest of two children. He was the third-generation graduate of Clovis High School and loved his community as well as all of the people he had the privilege of calling "friend".
A changing moment in Garret's life occurred in 1976. At just 14 years young, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that left him with a lasting leg injury that he would carry with him the rest his life. Though his life was forever changed, it was not a burden, rather an opportunity to spread joy.
Garry had been casually into music prior to his leg injury, playing the drums in middle school. It turned out the accident that took so much helped him realize his love for music. Garrett was drawn to the drums and turned into one of his greatest passions wherein he joined the Jazz Band at Clovis High as a Freshman. Later, he and his close friends, Randy and Mike, formed a band that performed throughout Clovis. He spread happiness to the Clovis community with his music, often covering one of his favorite bands, The Eagles. We are all but dust in the wind.
As he came of age, he found his greatest joy in life of being a bus driver. First, in the third grade, a bus driver, turned mentor, explained all the facets of what it meant to be a bus driver. The fascination continued to grow and flourish; he loved everything about of busses. From the aspect of transporting children to school to obtain their education, down to the smell of the bus; Garry truly put all he could into his craft of being a bus driver.
Through the course of his career, Garret would work for Central Unified School District, Clovis Unified School District and Fresno Unified School District. While others may have just viewed driving a bus as a job; he showed it was not just a means to pay the bills for it was to help all those for which he came into contact. Garrett went over and above to make sure he could do everything humanly possible to not only do his job, but lend a helping hand for the others. He aided all those he was privileged to call colleagues, which developed into life-long friends who could depend on him. Everybody knew if you had a question, Garrett was the person to seek out.
Though his love of performing music and driving a bus were his passions, he truly dedicated his life to his family. While we all knew that Garry was not the most punctual person, every time he would arrive, the atmosphere would instantly lighten. From stepping into carve the turkey at Thanksgiving to cracking a joke with a smirk during any family celebration, our family parties really did not start until he was there; at that point we knew we could take a sigh of relief, smile, and live in the moment.
Garrett is survived by his life-partner, Rhonda Carden, his father and stepmother, Stanley and Mary Smith, his mother, Lynda Smith, his sister and brother-in-law, Christy and Jay Geary and his two nieces, Natalee and Britni with their respective families.
His humility, selflessness, humor, and joy will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.
We invite you to attend a funeral service at the Clovis Funeral Chapel, Friday, April 4, 2025 at 11:00 am.