It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of M. L. Smith (Morton Lynn Smith) on Thursday, April 23, 2020, due to complications following surgery.  M. L. was 78 years old.

M. L. was born on April 14, 1942 to Lois Jeanette Baldwin and Morton Franklin Smith.  He spent his childhood in Greenville, UT and graduated from Beaver High School in Beaver, UT, Class of 1960.  Higher education was very important to M. L.  He earned his Bachelor’s Degree at Utah State University and his Master’s Degree at Brigham Young University.  

He married Pauline Judd Smith in 1962; they were married 57 years.  They had two daughters, Sonya and Lara, who were raised while the family lived in Logan, UT; Dunlap, IL;  Franklin Grove, IL;  Sun Prairie, Wisconsin;  Mt. Prospect, IL;  Salt Lake City, UT; and Cedar City, UT, where they settled in 1978.

M. L. was most happy spending his time at his Cedar City ranch, raising and riding horses, and sitting outside watching the sun set; however, he also loved making regular visits to his other homes in Las Vegas, NV; Fredonia, AZ; Beaver, UT; and St. George, UT.

Throughout his years, M. L. wore many hats, his well-worn cowboy hat being his favorite.  M. L. spent his years as a business executive, hospitality consultant, horseman, rancher, and educator.  Teaching was his passion, and he was still teaching to the end.  He will be sorely missed by his countless students, present and past, who will surely remember his belief in Standards of Excellence and his many “ML-isms.” 

M. L. was full of life and made the most of every minute.  He was an avid sports fan and loved watching and following college sports, especially basketball, football, and baseball.  He loved to read and never tired of reading a good book or the daily newspaper.  Traveling into town to buy the morning paper was a daily ritual for M. L., as he loved to stay “in the loop” with the day’s headlines and articles that would be meaningful to his students. 

Horse racing was a major part of M. L.’s life, as he raised and raced his own race horses for years.  He was most proud of his award-winning thoroughbred race horse, Magical Dreamer, who was born at the Cedar Ranch and lived out his retirement years there, as well.  M. L. and Pali loved going to the horse races around Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California.

M. L. was a proud grandfather to Natasha and Allen, both of Las Vegas, NV.  He loved attending their important events, such as performances, sporting events, ceremonies, birthdays, and graduations.  Natasha and Allen are grateful for the time he was able to spend with them.

M. L. was preceded in death by his parents, Morton and Lois Smith; sister, Dian (Smith) Hauk; and brother, Joel Bart Smith.  

He is survived by his wife, Pauline Judd Smith; two daughters, Sonya Smith Greene (John) of Las Vegas, NV and Lara Smith Bouchard (Kevin) of Las Vegas, NV; two grandchildren, Natasha Greene of Las Vegas, NV and Allen Bouchard of Las Vegas, NV; and one sister, Connie Smith of Beaver, UT.

M. L. will always be remembered for his zest for life, his love of learning, his passion for teaching, and his love for his family.  His family will always remember his belief in the “Common Man Creed” by Dean Alfange, as he aspired to live his life as an “uncommon man.”  We love you, Dad.  We love you, Grandpa.  We will miss you.

There will be no public memorial service.  Our family invites you to leave your thoughts and memories of M. L. at memorial.yourtribute.com/mlsmith.