All thanks to Walt’s gentle and firm urging to ‘start’.” Turns out the picture I wanted to draw was not too hard after all. And so it went, I would put a pencil mark on the paper and another and another. In each case he would gently, then firmly urge me to start with - ‘put a mark on the paper, Lin’. “I knew it as soon as I was presenting it to Walt. “In the years I knew Walt Smith, I would pick out something that was too hard for me to draw,” his student said. A style they noted always brought out the best in each of them and they’d shared what it was like learning from him. They said he had a style that was one of kind that was catered to every students individual needs at any level. Smith’s way of teaching is something his former students touted when reminiscing over their teacher. I never knew how important muscles were or how many there were in a horse, but I found out as I painted a Clydesdale later on.” His love for painting horses was amazing. He studied abroad while he was in the Marine Corps and later he went back for lessons from famous artists and teachers in Italy and Rome. “We just didn’t know how blessed we were to have this teacher come into our lives and the community as a whole. “I was already at SCC when Walt started teaching - I immediately liked him, he just seemed to be a people person and made everyone feel at ease,” another former student remarked. As for me, Walt Smith was one of a kind and he will always hold a special spot in my heart.”
I know he was a hero to many who came to know him. To know Walt Smith was an honor for so many reasons. Walt Smith wore many hats and one of them was in the Marine Corps as an Officer. He loved history and was very much a big part of the Averasboro Civil War Battlefield and Museum. Not only was he an instructor but he was also a friend. “Walt was a soft-spoken gentleman and he was always so knowledgeable and helpful to all the students. “What can I say about Walt Smith,” another of his students said. Not to mention before that he served the county as a member of the Marine Corps. Throughout the years, he has also taught courses including Art Appreciation and Drawing I/Painting I for both curriculum and the Early College. His journey with SCC continued as he began teaching continuing education classes, titled “creative art”, where he tailors to each student’s individual ability, choice, interest and goals. In this role, he conducted classes in Clinton, Roseboro, Newton Grove and Plain View. It noted that Smith first joined SCC in 1986 teaching studio visual art classes. In an article provided to The Sampson Independent in 2017 from SCC’s Janna Bass Smith’s teaching history was highlighted, one that dated back to the 1980s. Smith was an art instructor at Sampson Community for decades where he would eventually retire from. “I am honored to have been one of his students I am especially thankful to have been able to call him my friend.”
“Walt Smith was an extraordinary person who willingly shared his abundant knowledge of art and his wisdom in so many areas of life with anyone open to learning,” remarked another of his students. “Walt was a very patient, considerate person who seemed to know the best approach to teach each individual,” one student attested. When you have been with a teacher for over 30 years, you are family!” “Walt Smith was, an amazing teacher, friend, and yes Walt was like family,” one student said. There wasn’t a single one that didn’t singing praise about his character and the positive influences he had on Sampson County. While they remained anonymous to keep the focus on Smith. The students payed tribute to their mentors memory by sharing their stories on the life of a man they called family. Noting him as a gentle and kind person who treasured being able to hear how he had made such an impression on each of them and that impact. They all shared a deep love for Smith and recalled how he had impacted their lives through his knowledge of and talent for art. Recently a small group of those art students, after finding out their art teacher, who was also special friend, had died, gathered together for lunch to share grief at this great loss. An artist that left a long lasting impact on all those he encountered throughout his life, Smith leaves a legacy that will live on forever inside his many students. Teacher, mentor, a blessing - these were only a few words that described the late Walt Smith. A longtime former instructor at Sampson Community College, he left an impact in the world of art for all who knew him. Walt Smith was a pioneer in the field of art in Sampson County and beyond.
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