He died doing what he loved
Jul. 29—Cecil "Kim" Smith's favorite place in the world was along the upper Rogue River with the sun on his back, his beloved black lab, Jessie, at his side and a big fish on the other end of his line.
The owner of his own company and a beloved youth wrestling coach, the 62-year-old went missing near Mill Creek Falls Friday, July 15.
Smith had ventured out in his pickup truck just after 3 a.m., four-legged friend in tow. Family members say he was on the hunt for a way to access his favorite fishing hole along the upper Rogue, used for years but recently fenced off by property owners.
Determined to still fish the area with grandkids, Smith parked at the Mill Creek Falls parking lot and was not heard from again.
He was reported missing later that night, and search crews, including friends of Smith, spent Saturday and Sunday looking before they heard Jessie, standing along the river, howling and crying a short distance from his best friend's body.
Believed to have fallen down a cliff, Smith likely died upon impact and did not suffer, his family says. A silver lining for those who loved him, his final moments were spent in one of his favorite places.
Friends and family remember Smith as gruff with a sensitive side, hilariously funny and a family man. Tami Serrano-Smith, Smith's daughter, said her dad was independent and sometimes stubborn.
"The really bittersweet part is my parents' last argument was because he wanted to go down there by himself. My mom said, 'You are NOT going down there alone.' I think it was maybe two days before, my uncle told him not to go down there. Our neighbor talked to him the night before and said, 'You probably shouldn't go down there.'" Serrano-Smith said.
"He said, 'I'll be fine. If I'm not outta there by such and such time, have the helicopter come get me.'" That's the kind of thing he would say. He was just funny and living his best life. But it was such a dangerous area for him to go. We worried if he went alone."
Serrano Smith said her dad, using the "old way to get there," had taken friends and family to fish the area and camp for years.
"He just really wanted to get back to the spot he used to go with my brother, so he parked as close as he could and more or less was kind of off-roading," she said.
"I think for people who really love to fish and camp, there's a feeling people get when they're in a spot where nobody else has been able to go. One of his friends who helped find him said it was a beautiful spot. He said, 'When it's my time, I hope that's the way I go.'"
Born in Crescent City July 11, 1960, Smith graduated Brookings-Harbor High School in 1978 and married his high school sweetheart, Kathy. Self-employed for most of his adult life, Smith owned a sandblasting company and coached wrestling for Butte Falls and Eagle Point middle schools.
Serrano-Smith said her dad spent the past five years caring, 24-7, for his mother, who has Parkinson's, and was craving some time on the river. Jim Mannenbach, fellow coach and friend, called Smith "one of the good guys." Mannenbach, of Eagle Point, took solace in Smith's final moments being spent near the river with his dog.
"Kim built a lot of really positive relationships with the kids he was around. He loved coaching, and he had a great sense of humor. He was a great man," said Mannenbach.
"I heard that his dog stuck by him all night, even tried to bite a few of the guys trying to get him out of there. That was definitely one of his best friends and fishing buddies right there."
Medford resident Courtney Badger-Mack said Smith treated her like family. She took comfort in memories of Easter egg hunts, road trips and videos of "Uncle Kim" building a zipline for grandkids. Badger-Mack and her husband slept at Smith's truck while he was missing.
"I know almost everyone talks about him as an avid fisherman, hunter and outdoorsman. I knew the other side of Kim. I got to see his softer side, the poems he wrote, the crafts he would work on. He helped me with the decorations for our wedding with his sandblasting and painting," she said.
"When my husband lost his dad unexpectedly 10 years ago, Kim let us live with them while my husband healed. He was there for him every day, making sure he was getting through. Uncle Kim was one of my favorite people in the whole world."
Serrano-Smith said her dad's dog, who she teased was his "favorite child," was healing from injuries sustained while staying close to her dad.
"He fell a ways, trying to get to him. He definitely hurt his back leg and split his lip open. You can tell he misses my dad. They were usually together," she said.
Serrano-Smith said condolences had flooded in from the community remembering the coach, fisherman, sandblaster and funny guy loved by so many.
"We've gotten so many phone calls from people just saying he had made such an impact on everybody's life," she said.
"If some kids didn't have good parents, he tried to fill that role. If there was an older person missing their kids, he filled that role. He was just always taking care of everybody."
If there are fishing holes in heaven, Serrano-Smith figures her dad has already picked out his favorite spot.
She added, "I just hope he's finally up there catching that big one he was looking for."
Born to Bertha Jean Smith and Cecil Kimberley Smith Sr., Smith is survived by his mother; three sisters, Debbie Bennett (Bruce Bennett) of Eagle Point, Tami Burnham (Ernie Burnham) of Oregon City and Sarah Smith (Ed Gallagher) of Niarada, Montana; brother, Charlie Smith (Lois Smith) of Brookings; his wife, Kathy Jean Smith; a son, Darek (Callie) Smith; and daughter, Tami (Sandra) Serrano-Smith. He had four grandchildren and a slew of others he called his own.
A memorial will be held later this summer. Serrano-Smith said details would be posted on social media.
Reach reporter Buffy Pollock at 541-776-8784 or bpollock@rosebudmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @orwritergal.
