Stephens County officials have identified the man found beneath an overpass at North Pond Street in Toccoa Friday morning.
A call to Stephens County Chief Deputy Coroner Lee Woody on Tuesday confirmed the man discovered by authorities Friday, Jan. 24, was Emmett Leon Smith – Woody’s grandfather and a former solider who served in multiple combat zones throughout Asia during the Vietnam War over a six-year period.
Woody said Smith died by suicide, though a cause of death has not been officially determined. Smith was 83. Woody said his grandfather, a U.S. Army veteran, had struggled with issues of mental health as of late. Services for Smith were held Monday, Jan. 27.
“He was a good guy,” Woody said. “He was a good grandfather. He loved his family. He went into the Army when he was 18, and he was in and out of combat situations … It’s just a difficult time.”
Woody told Now Habersham on Tuesday that his grandfather, as a veteran, was always thankful for his service to the United States.
“That’s something that he was very grateful for,” Woody said. “He loved veterans. He loved the military service he gave. He was very, very proud of his time there…he’d give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.”
Smith was employed for a number of years with Trogdon Furniture as a Boiler Operator, according to his obituary. He had a passion for gardening, walking uptown, going to Ida Cox, reading, and helping people.
In addition to Woody, Smith is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Teresa and Kenneth Heaton of Eastanollee; his son and daughter-in-law, Leon Junior and Lisa Smith of Toccoa; grandson; granddaughter, Melissa Davis (Alex); and five great-grandchildren, Carson, Emma, Avery, Sutton and Harrison; brothers and sisters-in-law, Johnny and Jackie Smith, David and Gail Smith, Larry and Buena Smith; sisters and brother-in-law, Glenda Kellett, Brenda Cobb, Connie and Cecil Nicholson; sisters-in-law, Doris Smith, Bonnie Smith, Yvonne Smith.
“I want to thank Toccoa Police Chief Bruce Carlisle and his officers as well as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for their professionalism and compassion they have shown to this case and my family,” Woody said.
