Maxfield A Smith

Maxfield (Rusty) Anderson Smith III of Yachats, OR July 23, 1952 - January 29 Maxfield (Rusty) Anderson Smith III of Yachats, OR, passed away January 29, 2019. Max was born July 23, 1952 in Erie, PA to parents Maxfield Anderson Smith II and Carla Jarecki Smith, and the family later moved to Southern California. In his late teens, he began his career as a commercial fisherman in the Pacific, originally based out of San Diego, CA. He moved to Santa Barbara, CA, and on to Morro Bay, CA. Max commercially fished the seas from Mexico to Alaska and deep into the Pacific Ocean both north and south. In addition to fishing, Max was a highly skilled diesel mechanic which later became his primary source of income as the fishing industry on the west coast became challenged. He loved the sea and anything related to fishing and sailing. His father was a professional yachtsman, causing them to occasionally cross paths at sea. Max was also an accomplished craftsman in all aspects of the industry from making nets, building boats, to working on boat and ships engines. He eventually moved to Yachats, OR about 28 years ago. Yachats, with its beautiful Pacific coastline, was an unsurprising and fitting choice for a man that so clearly understood the rhythms of the sea. Max also received an Associates Degree with honors from the local community college in Corvallis, OR. Later in life, Max turned his attention toward the universe and closely followed the Hubble Space Telescope journey and discoveries. He was a man of true grit, curiosity and adventure; a gentle and kind man who loved his buddies and sharing a pint or two while spinning a tale of the sea. Max had a trick of being able to close his eyes and travel the universe, navigating through the stars and galaxies in deep space, as he had once done in the Pacific. He was a singular and solitary man of the sea and the stars, traveling with ease in territories many of us only dream of. Today he continues his journey to new and unknown horizons, knowing new places require new learning. Max is survived by 5 siblings that are scattered from the east to west coasts of the United States of America. He was the second child after Laurie Ellers; Annie Drew, Chris McBrier, Leslie Dunn and Bill Dale all came next in that order. He had a daughter with ex-wife Linda who they named Carrie. He is preceded in death by his parents. A private service will be held in Yachats, Oregon in March 2019, to honor him and his love of the sea.

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Maxfield A Smith

July 23, 1952 - January 29, 2019