James Cremin Smith

A man whose countless stories were so entertaining, you never minded hearing them again.

A man so thoughtful and so in love with his wife, that 63 years later he brought her flowers regularly.

A man who attended any function, big or small, in his daughters’ lives and was always there for them.

A man whose arm never needed twisting to tell his six grandchildren a bedtime story or take them fishing at night

A man whose absence leaves a void in our hearts that can only be consoled by the happy memories created with him…

James C. Smith, Poppy, was born in Tulsa, OK to rancher/oilman Dale J. And Billie C. Smith. He attended Cascia Hall, where many of his favorite stories took place. A family favorite combines cherry bombs flushed down second story toilets, prewar plumbing, and unsuspecting underclassmen in the first floor restrooms. Another involved the headmaster’s car disappearing and the expression on his face when Jim told him it was found across the creek in the middle of a dense forest. His summers of youth were spent working the family ranch in New Mexico where the Old West was still present in daily life. He developed a passion for the southwestern lifestyle while herding, branding, and a certain procedure where he acquired a penchant for the delicacy known as sweetbreads.

Despite his shenanigans, Jim graduated two years early as valedictorian of his class. He went on to enroll in The University of Notre Dame and then the University of Tulsa. While in school, he met his future wife, Dorothy Nester, and fell madly in love with her, even if the feelings weren’t immediately reciprocated. He would visit Dorothy’s mother regularly and would even go as far as to welcome her other dates at the door while he was there. He graduated from Tulsa with honors and enlisted in the Navy. While stationed in Newfoundland and Maryland, he had the highest military clearance and commanded aerial reconnaissance missions over the North Atlantic at the height of the Cold War. It was during this time that he returned home to visit Dorothy dressed in his Naval uniform and wedding bells followed soon after. They enjoyed their military life, yet Dorothy refused to allow his reenlistment due to recurring nightmares of his plane crashing. Shortly thereafter, it did.

Unsurprisingly, with his gift of gab, he left military life behind for the oil industry as a landman. He and Dorothy had two daughters, Chris and Lisa, and moved to all of the traditional oil towns. They eventually settled down in Houston where he was a successful independent Oil & Gas Broker.

He was always there for his daughters by coaching or attending all of their sporting events, come rain or shine.. He also loved his family time in Galveston Island. He and Dorothy had a beach house where he would fish, gig for flounder, and relax on the weekends.

Later in life, Jim loved traveling and making new stories with his family. HIs favorite trip was the celebration of he and Dorothy’s 50th anniversary. They took all 12 members of his family on an amazing Baltic cruise, where they quickly became known as the “family”. He was an avid history buff, and thus truly enjoyed Germany, Ireland, Greece, and Italy.

Outside of Galveston, his favorite place in the world was Whitefish, Montana, where he would read a book on the patio overlooking the lake; adventure through Glacier National Park with his camera ready to find bears and moose; or gather the whole family together at cocktail hour with his famous old fashioneds and share more intriguing stories they’d never heard before. His six grandchildren were all raised on Poppy’s unique and original stories, never allowing him a night off of storytelling duties. He was also an avid participant in trivia and debate with his children and grandchildren; he even enjoyed the good-natured ribbing he got when he was wrong, at least the one time he admitted to it. Along with his grandkids, his great-grandchildren were his absolute pride and joy. Nothing brought him greater happiness than his visits with his great-grandkids and feeding the rabbits in his backyard. And speaking of animals, Jim was passionate about racing and breeding quarter horses, particularly one Superstar named Mr Eyeopener who will be inducted in the AQHA hall of fame next year. His other hobbies included reading, photography and collecting southwestern art.

A man of many stories, he is incredibly loved and sorely missed by everyone. His greatest story isn’t over, however, as his legacy lives on through his loving family. If love alone could have kept him with us, he’d still be at our side. We can only assume God needed fresh material for entertainment in heaven.

Jim is survived by his wife, Dorothy; his daughters, Chris (Jeff) Bayer and Lisa (Steve) Jeske; grandchildren, Lindsey (Kurt) Miller, Courtney (Jake) Allen, Brett Jeske, Matt Jeske, Travis Bayer, and Nicole Jeske; and great grandchildren Sadie Allen and Lucas Miller. He is preceded in death by his parents, Dale J and Billie C Smith.

Visitation will be held at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home, Sunday, July 28th, from 4:30-6p.m. with a Rosary following from 6-7p.m.. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at Christ the King Church, Monday, July 29, at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.