James W. "Bill" Smith

James W. "Bill" Smith was born 1-27-1941 to James W. Smith Sr. and Neva Smith in Thermopolis, Wyoming. He grew up in Medicine Bow working on local ranches while in high school. Gathering wild horses with Tom and Bill Bennett was a highlight. He and Bill served in The United States Navy from 1958 to 1962. 

After his discharge, he and his Dad bought a farm in Western Colorado, where he met and married Virginia Anderson. They recently celebrated their 60th anniversary. He worked at Petrotomics in Shirley Basin, Modern Electric and Automation Electronics . In 1972, feeling he worked out of town a lot and was missing out on his sons growing up, he went to work for Pacific Power (Glenrock Coal Mine) until he retired in 1996. Then, he founded Fence Doctor, building residential fences until 2009.

In 1967 he and Virginia bought an old house near Casper on 2 acres. They cleared brush, remodeled, and added on, turning it into their forever home. Their sons helped, learning skills and creating a home for their 4-H animals and projects. 

He is survived by his wife Virginia, son Jim of Casper and his wife Vicki and daughter Alix, and son Wayne of Douglas and his wife Cheri and son Zack.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Larry, Don, and Frank.

Please join us for a celebration of his life, lunch, and stories at 1:00 PM on Saturday, December 27th, 2025, at The VFW, 1800 Bryan Stock Trail, Casper, Wyoming, 82601.

To share a memory of Bill or leave a special message for his family, please visit the guestbook below.