TORRINGTON – Guido Earlin Smith, 90, passed away peacefully April 11, 2024, at Torrington Community Hospital. At his request there will be no services and cremation has taken place. Memorials can be made to the Eastern Wyoming College Foundation in Gudio’s name. The Colyer Funeral Home assisted the family with the cremation arrangements.
Guido (Guy) was born 20 October 1933, the last of four children born to Victor R. and Venus (Case) Smith, in Leoti, Kansas. He received his formal education K- 12 in the Leoti public schools, and his higher education degrees (B.S. and M.S. In zoology and botany) from Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas, with additional studies at the University of Wyoming, the University of Colorado and Colorado State University. He married Edith (Edie) Vague in Leoti, Kansas in 1952. After graduation Guy and Edie moved to Torrington, in 1956, Guy having accepted the responsibility for establishing a Biology Department at Goshen County Community College (now Eastern Wyoming College). After teaching the biological sciences for twelve years, Guy served as the Dean of the College for sixteen years, during which time he implemented the veterinary technology program, the welding program, and the cosmetology program. He also served as the Registrar, and he was responsible for interviewing and hiring of faculty. He was appointed as the President of EWC in 1984. In addition to Guy’s commitment to EWC, he devoted time and energy to chairing the Wyoming Council for the Humanities for two years and serving on the council for six years, the Wyoming Higher Education Computer Network being the chairman for two years, and he served on several state committees including one as the representative of the community colleges at the University of Wyoming.
Guy and Edie had two children both of whom were born and raised in Torrington. Linda and Tim attended the Torrington public schools and graduated from the University of Wyoming before taking positions and moving to the east coast. Upon his retirement from EWC in 1990, he was presented the first governor’s citation for meritorious service to the Wyoming Community College Commission and to the State of Wyoming by Governor Mike Sullivan and was given the title of President Emeritus by the EWC Board of Trustees. Guy is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Linda D. and Craig Stark of Hagerstown, Maryland; son Timothy J. of Raleigh, North Carolina; two granddaughters, Jaclyn Smith of Baltimore, Maryland, attending Johns Hopkins University and Jamie Smith Shiels of London England and a great grandson Henry Shiels. He was preceded in death by his wife Edith (Edie) of 66 years, his daughter-in-law Shirley (Lee) Morrissey Smith, and his parents, a sister and brother-in-law, two brothers and sisters-in-law.
