While in training at Fort Benning, GA, his bride defied her parents and hopped there on a train from California.  Walt and Beth were wed in 1951. Walt Smith was a quiet man at home and outside of his profession, but once he stepped foot in that classroom at TDHS, he came alive.  He was full of charisma, told the best stories, and had an amazing sense of humor. He was beloved by his students and selected by them numerous times to give speeches at their graduations.