Community celebrates the life of late St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith
A military honor finished off Thursday's events in honor of the sheriff's service in the Vietnam War.
ST. MARY PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- In Morgan City, a celebration of life was held for late St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith. The funeral service was at the municipal auditorium where family and friends of Sheriff Smith celebrated the life he lived both as a sheriff and as a man.
"He was a very genuine person," Det. Lt. David Spencer with the sheriff's office said reflecting on Smith's life. "When you spend any time with him, you kind of pick that up pretty quick. [He was] very much a servant to the people his whole life, and he did that here in St. Mary [parish]."
A motorcade started in Franklin at 8 a.m., where family, friends and law enforcement agencies from all over the state came by to honor the sheriff. At 11 a.m., family and friends then gathered at the auditorium. The funeral service began at 3 p.m. After speaking with the sheriff's family, all agree he will be missed by everyone he served.
"I think he left his mark with his family and in his community," Bridget Buck, his daughter, said. "And I think that he loved Jesus. Like, if any one thing that he would want anyone to know is to know Jesus and just how giving he was and how humble."
Smith's grandson Braylon said the sheriff was an inspiration to everyone who knew him, especially Braylon himself as he looks to follow in his grandfather's footsteps.
"Throughout my childhood, I'd always wanted to be a part of law enforcement as he had really dedicated 50 years of his life to it," he said. "He was my hero when it came to law enforcement interactions."
A military honor finished off Thursday's events in honor of the sheriff's service in the Vietnam War.