Paul Comer Smith, 69, of Albany, GA, died Friday, June 28, 2013, at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.

     His funeral service will be at 2 PM, Tuesday, July 2, 2013, at Kimbrell-Stern with interment to follow at Riverside Cemetery.  Student Rabbi Kelly Levy will officiate.

     Paul was born in Charlottesville, VA, and had lived in Albany since the late 1960's.  He attended the University of Virginia and had worked in the aviation industry.  Paul worked at Ayers Corporation, and then had worked many years at the Fixed Base Operator at the Albany Airport as an avionic technician, retiring in 2011.  He was a member of Temple B'Nai Israel where he sang in the choir for many years.  Paul was a member and served as an officer for the Albany Chorale and the Albany Concert Association.  He served as a Board Member of the Albany Symphony, and he performed in productions at Theatre Albany.

     Paul could fix anything and could solve a wide variety of problems - avionic, electronic, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, automotive - and was a champion at solving crossword puzzles, sudoku, and the Celebrity Ciphers, and was his stepdaughter's only 'phone-a-friend!'  A favorite gift he received was a cap saying, 'If I can't fix it, it ain't broke!'  He loved watching Jeopardy and knew most of the responses.  He loved watching sports - college and professional football and basketball, his granddaughter's soccer and basketball games (was an expert with the vuvuzela), and especially the Atlanta Braves.  He loved ballroom dancing and the music of the Rhythm Masters.

     He loved and supported the live arts - opera, musicals, theatre, as well as visual arts.  He loved his family, his children and grandchildren, his Temple families (Albany and Bainbridge), his dogs, especially his Mom's little Toby who we adopted.  He loved riding in his little red convertible and enjoyed our weekly visits to Pearly's for breakfast.  He liked to travel and enjoyed Europe, especially the cities of Prague and Budapest, cruises, and his regular trips to Destin (even the condo-maintenance trips!), and Ruggles Beach.

     He enjoyed tracking and observing the International Space Station and inspired others to do the same.  He loved searching for and watching interesting astronomical events, even when Hale-Bopp watching in the back alley attracted the attention of numerous police cars (the officers were anxious to look in the telescope once they found that we were just innocent star gazers, not suspicious characters!).

     He loved holidays with family, Seders with the Feldmans, canoeing, NPR (especially Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion and the Car Talk guys and the weekly puzzle challenges by NPR Puzzlemaster Will Shortz), blowing the Shofar at Temple, and helping his 'airplane friends,' which gave rise to the phrase, 'what would Paul do?'

     He loved volunteering and did so regularly at the Temple, Albany Chorale, Albany Symphony, Albany Concert Association, and performing at Theatre Albany (but only singing parts, and playing characters with only a few lines to say!)  He tolerated playing bocci ball at the lake, playing board games, and our family's curry dinners.  He loved photography and preferred to take photos of the family playing bocci ball at the lake!

     Paul is survived by his wife: Beverly Smith, Albany; his children: Rachael Bjorklund (Kevin), Panama City, FL, Angela Parker (Jeff), Huntsville, NC, Comer Smith (Rachel), Auburn, AL; step-children: Eric Soos, Albany, Dawn Soos-Ghiathi (Dr. A. S.), Shellman, GA; his sister: Martie Smith, Monroe, NC; grandchildren: Jessica Brown, Seth Brown, Emily Parker, Amber Sheppard, Christopher Smith, Bethany Smith, Comer Smith, Hana Ghiathi; his sister-in-law: Peg Bobel (Rob), Akron, OH.

Submitted by Sam Clarke.