Community Mourns Passing Of Restaurant Manager

WOODSTOCK, GA — The community is mourning the loss of a manager at a popular Holly Springs restaurant. Preston Michael Smith, 34, the general manager at Sidelines Grille at 5343 Old Highway 5 in Holly Springs, passed away on Friday, March 30, his obituary notes.

The restaurant confirmed the news of Smith's untimely death to its Facebook followers, noting that Smith touched many lives and the outpouring of support the restaurant has received is proof that "he was an amazing guy that everybody loved."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family through this unbearable time," the restaurant added. "Preston was integral in the success of our business and we will work hard to honor his legacy. He wasn’t just a great manager, he was a wonderful friend, son, uncle, boyfriend and so many other things to so many people."

Smith's funeral was held on Friday, April 6 at Woodstock Funeral Home, according to his obituary. He was born in Lancaster, California, on Sept. 16, 1983. He moved to Georgia with his family and graduated in 2009 with a bachelor's degree from Kennesaw State University.

His obituary states he was "seemingly an expert in all subjects, fully capable of explaining each in fine detail." He loved to read and was passionate about his family and friends. Other hobbies include cheering on his favorite sports teams (LSU Tigers, San Francisco ‘49ers, Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Braves), cooking, golfing, riding his Kawasaki, bowling and practicing at the range.

"He was smart, funny, and loved to meet new people," his obituary went on to say. "Preston never met a stranger and made everyone feel special and welcomed."

Smith is survived by his parents, Scott and Doris Smith of Woodstock; sister, brother-in-law and nephew, Mallery and Uriah Waits and Maddox, all of Jasper; significant other, Chelsea Burke of Woodstock; aunt and uncle, Sally and Richard Arnold of Santa Barbara, California; aunt, Anitta Arnold-Valdez of New Jersey; cousins, Caitlin Arnold Benson and Addison Valdez of California; and countless others he considered family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Preston’s honor for his nephew, Maddox. Information on donating will be posted at www.woodstockfuneralhome.com once established.

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Image via Sidelines Grille Holly Springs