Dr. H. Max Smith, 80, of West Jefferson and a former resident of Boone, passed away Friday morning, July 6, 2012 at Margate Health Care in West Jefferson. Born August 24, 1931 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he was a son of the late Charles Lee and Daisy Viola McDonald Smith. Max was a retired professor of music at Appalachian State University. He worked at ASU for twenty-five years. While at ASU Dr. Smith developed and was the first director of the University Honors Program. He served as chair of the school of music for four years. Max was an accomplished concert organist and has performed in twenty-six states and five European countries. He was an organist at various churches in the area, including First Baptist Church in Boone and Mt. Jefferson Baptist Church in West Jefferson. He also played at churches in Marion, Winston-Salem and Blowing Rock.

He is survived by one son, Pablo Pacheco and wife, Marta, of West Jefferson; two grandchildren, Bianca Marí Pacheco and Max Eduardo Pacheco both of West Jefferson; one sister, Kathleen Driskel of Cherryvale, Kansas; and one brother, Thomas Smith of Topeka, Kansas; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Memorial services for Dr. H. Max Smith will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday morning, July 14th, St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, PO Box 14, Blowing Rock, NC 28605 ,or to Mount Jefferson Presbyterian Church, PO Box 782, West Jefferson, NC 28694. Online condolences may be sent to the Smith family at http://www.austinandbarnesfuneralhome.com.

Austin & Barnes Funeral Home & Crematory is serving the Smith family.