Leon Ross Smith

Leon Ross Smith, Jr., a resident of Round Rock, Texas, died on August 23, 2004. Dr. Smith was born on January 20, 1929 in the oil boom town of Pioneer, Texas, and grew up in nearby Rising Star. His father, Leon R. Smith, Sr., was an oilfield superintendent from western New York who was transferred to Texas in 1920 by Pennzoil. A true Yankee engineer, and a Republican, L.R. bought and sold oil leases across north Texas, and took his son along for the ride. He was credited with inventing the process of oil well repressuring. Leon's mother, Hazel Hibler Smith, was a schoolteacher from Fairland, Texas who trained at Southwest Texas State. His parents met at a box lunch social held to raise money for uniforms for a band his father had formed. Dr. Smith's mother died in 1935, and in 1939 his father married Louella Clayton, a chiropractor from Bryson. She raised Leon as her own. Leon's older brother Leo was a tool-and-die shop foreman for Chrysler in Michigan. His brother Warren was a professional trombonist who played with Bob Crosby, Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington. His sisters Mildred and Gertrude married into farming and ranching families in Texas. At the age of 11, Leon became the pianist at the Rising Star Methodist Church, when his predecessor got drafted. He attended many Sunday night revivals, but also had a fondness for boogie-woogie and Westerns. He listened to World War II on the radio, and watched all the men he knew go off to fight it. He excelled in tennis, and took over the high school chemistry classes after teacher was drafted. Because his father came out of retirement to help pump oil for the war effort, Leon was lucky enough to have an unlimited gasoline ration card. Dr. Smith graduated from Rising Star High School and attended McMurry College in Abilene, studying piano with Miss Nancy Craig Lasley. Leon was widely regarded for his fine tenor voice, and was often called on to sing the Lord's Prayer at funerals and special occasions. He also studied for three years at Texas Chiropractic College in San Antonio, and volunteered his services at a free clinic in the barrio. In 1954, Dr. Smith moved to Austin to study music theory and composition at the University of Texas. He met the love of his life, Mary Louise Anderson, while singing in the choir at St. David's Episcopal Church. They married in 1958. Their son Ross was born in Texarkana, Texas in 1959. Dr. Smith received his Bachelor's degree with honors in 1957, and his Master's degree in 1958. He taught at Texarkana College for several years, then earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Indiana. He had teaching assignments at East Tennessee State and the University of Tennessee before accepting a position with the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in 1970. Dr. Smith ran the theory and graduate programs for the UW-SP music department for twenty-four years. He also founded the school's electronic music studio, training students for careers in everything from the classroom to the movies. He served on the board of the Central Wisconsin Symphony, and sang in a Lutheran church choir. He retired as a full professor in 1994, then came home to Texas with Mary Louise. In retirement, Dr. Smith wrote punditry and poetry, penned a cowboy song or two, cooked a lot of barbeque, and again sang in the choir at St. David's. His "Poor Leon's Texas Almanac" was much anticipated at Christmas. He enjoyed traveling the state with Mary Louise. Dr. Smith was the first winner of the composition prize from the music department at UT, for a flute concerto. His other works included an oratorio, The Ascension of Jesus Christ, and works for piano, band, choir, voice and synthesizer. Leon Smith was preceded in death by his wife Mary Louise; his father, mother and stepmother, and by his brothers and sisters, Leo Smith and wife Jo, Warren Smith and wife Eula Mae, Mildred Hughes and husband Glenn, and Gertie Smith and husband Curt. He was also preceded in death by his nephew Jack Smith of Atlanta and his niece Diane deGraffenried of Washington, D.C. He is survived by his son, Ross, of Austin, by his sister-in-law Bea Carmichael and husband Alan, and by many nieces and nephews. Dr. Smith was a child of the Depression. He overcame great physical challenges and lived a long happy life as husband, father, teacher, philosopher and musician. Dr. Smith was known for his wit and ability to handle tough jobs with tact and grace. He had that Texas grit that keeps you going long after others would have quit. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 27, 2004 at St. David’s Episcopal Church, 304 E. 7th St. with The Reverend David Boyd officiating. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park. Arrangements by Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar, Austin, TX 78705 – (512) 452-8811. You may view memorials online at wcfish.com