Pastor Edward E. Smith, 82, of Xenia, went to be with his Lord and Savior this past weekend. On Saturday, April 25, 2015, Smith passed at Hospice of Dayton. He was born on June 24, 1932 in Xenia, Ohio to Elwood and Josephine Smith. He was a graduate of Xenia Central High School in 1950. After earning his B.A. and M.D degrees at Grace College and Seminary, he became the pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Kokomo, Indiana. He married Suzanne Yager, of Berne, Indiana in 1954. The Smith's returned to the Dayton area a decade later, where Ed became the pastor of his home church, The First Reformed Church, before he moved on to The Calvary Evangelical Covenant Church, and founded Project Help in East Dayton. The program was designed to minister to families in need in the community. Pastor Smith later became the Senior Minister of the Memorial Church, where he remained until his retirement, serving the Lord in over 60 years of ministry. Ed made 5 visits to the Holy Land throughout his time of service, in addition to Jamaica and Haiti over 40 times with a group of ministers. While at the Memorial Church, Smith focused on the youth of East Dayton through his service in the KIND Program. Outside of church, Smith enjoyed playing trumpet in Ray Foster's Nostalgia Band, boating, gardening, and enjoying exotic cuisine. He was an avid Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan. Smith is survived by his wife, Maria Smith (Xenia), his son, Mark Smith and granddaughter, Suzanne V. Smith (Berne, IN), two step-daughters, Nicola O'Brien and Lisa Church (England), his sister and brother-in-law, Janet and (Thomas) Huesman (Xenia), and a brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and (Jackie) Smith (Studio City, CA) He was preceded in death by his parents, and his first wife, Suzanne C. Smith. Pastor Smith will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. Visitation will be held from 6-8PM Thursday, April 30, at Neeld Funeral Home(1276 N. Detroit St., Xenia). The Memorial Service will be held at 10AM, Friday, May 1, at Memorial Church (2338 E. Fifth St., Dayton). Private graveside services will be held by the family in Woodland Cemetery, Xenia. Contributions may be made in his memory to Memorial Church, or Hospice of Dayton. Personal messages may be shared with the family at: www.NeeldFuneralHome.com.