James Cranford Smith

Collins GA,

James (Jim) Cranford "Hard Luck" Smith, age 61 passed away Sunday, February 18, 2018 at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah after a sudden illness.  Jim was born in Germany to James Ronald and Shirley Smith.  After his father’s discharge from service, the family moved back to the homeplace in Hillview Community outside of Collins.  He was a graduate of Reidsville High School and attended Universal Trucking Institute.  To say that Jim was a “colorful” character would be an understatement.  He was always known as a carefree and fun-loving soul who was the first to make you smile and would give you the shirt off his back.  One of the family’s favorite remembrances of him is the time that a tanker truck that he was driving slid off a mountain in Monteagle TN.  Jim, being the carefree soul that he was; was thankful for the trees that stopped the ultimate plummet to the valley below.  Nonetheless, unnerved by the situation, he waited on the truck to stop its slide, casually climbed from the cab and hiked to the roadway above to await help.  His view on life was to never let anything get him down.  Jim loved life and lived it to the fullest.  He is preceded in death by his parents.

Left to carry on his memory are his son, Beau (Emily Brown) Smith of Collins; daughter, Nikki (Michael) Oglesby of Swainsboro; sister, Nancy (Greg) Ward of Limestone MA; 4 grandchildren, Hunter Oglesby, Raelyn Oglesby, Taylor Smith, and Clay Mobley; niece, Chrystal Ward; nephew, J.M. (Frances) Ward; special friends, Vickey and Sammy Woodard, and an interstate highway full of trucker friends he met along the way.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 25, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00p.m. at the chapel of Low Country Cremation & Burial in Reidsville.  Memorial services will immediately follow, beginning at 3:00 p.m. with the Rev. Jim Rogers and Keith Beasley officiating.

Per Jim’s wishes, his earthly remains will be scattered “wherever the wind may take him” by his family following the service.

Low Country Cremation and Burial is serving the Smith family.