Wallace Millard Smouse Jr.

September 12, 1945 - September 23, 2019

Wallace Millard Smouse, Jr., 74, of Fairmont passed away surrounded by his loving family on Monday September 23, 2019 at JW Ruby Memorial Hospital. He was born in Sutton on September 12, 1945 the only son of the late, Wallace Millard Smouse, Sr. and Mary Louise (Skidmore) Smouse. Wallace was a graduate of East Fairmont High School in 1963 and West Virginia Business College and earned his Journeyman electrician certification from Marion County Technical Center. He served in the West Virginia National Guard for three years. He was employed for 22 years at Helmick Corporation as a Pattern Maker. He was later employed as a Maintenance manager for Fairmont- Morgantown Housing Authority. He was most recently employed at Kitchen and Bath RX with his sister Brenda. He was a lifelong member of Christ United Methodist Church. He enjoyed fishing, wood working and gardening. He was especially proud of his heirloom tomatoes. He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Reta Marie (Kniceley) Smouse; two daughters and their spouses, Jennifer and John Paugh of Kincheloe and Elizabeth and Tim Butcher of Lost Creek and four very special grandchildren, Johnathon Butcher, Dylan Butcher, Maggie Paugh and Truman Paugh; and his beloved dog Willow. Also surviving is his sister Brenda Louise Pritz and her husband Michael of Fairmont; three aunts, Ann (Skidmore) Clayton and her husband “Bud”, Alice (Smouse) Lewis, and Leo Skidmore; brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law, Maurice (Karen) Kniceley, Earl (Leanna) Kniceley, Helen Kniceley, Kathy Rose, Margaret (Austin) Bleigh, Gerald (Debbie) Kniceley, Lucille (James) Moats and James (Jody) Kniceley; twenty-one nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and several caring cousins whom he was very fond. He loved and adored his family and extended family. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Rondal and Faye Kniceley. In lieu of Flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Building Fund, 248 Hog Camp Road, Jane Lew, WV 26378. Family and friends will be received at the Carpenter and Ford Funeral Home, 209 Merchant Street, Fairmont on Thursday from 4pm to 8pm. The funeral service will be on Friday, September 27, 2019 at 10am at the funeral home with Rev. Destry Daniels officiating. Interment will follow at the Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church Cemetery, in Kincheloe, West Virginia.