Stephen Macrae Smith

Mr. Smith was born August 20, 1941, at Florence Nightingale Hospital in Dallas, TX, to Edgar Carlyle Smith Sr. and Phyllis Matlock Smith. The Smith Family moved to Grand Prairie, TX in 1943 and he spent his entire childhood as a resident of Grand Prairie, TX graduating from Grand Prairie High School in 1959. Stephen was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity at Texas Tech University and graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He was a Registered Chemical Engineer in the State of Texas. He later obtained a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering in 1972 from the University of Houston and his Texas Real Estate Brokerage License. Stephen began his career at the Sinclair Refining Company in Houston, TX in 1963. He went to work for Crown Central Petroleum in 1968 in the Technical Department and later became the Manager of Technical Operations for the refinery in Pasadena, TX. Stephen was promoted to the Corporate Director and VP of Planning and Operations, and the Smith Family relocated to Baltimore, Maryland in 1983. While at Crown Petroleum, Stephen won numerous innovation awards for improving refining operations and production. The Smith Family moved back to Cypress, TX in 1987 where Stephen began consulting work with a number of firms globally on refinery design and refinery operations. Over the course of his career, (he travelled throughout the middle east and Asia including multiple trips to Tehran, Iran; Bahrain, Saudi Arabia; and Beijing, China.

Stephen was a member of the Episcopalian church early in life where his parents were one of the founding families of St. Andrews Church in Grand Prairie, TX. Stephen and Alice are members of the Cornerstone United Methodist Church. Stephen really loved listening to and playing music. He played the piano, guitar, mandolin, and banjo and enjoyed the opportunity to play and sing with other family members whenever there was a gathering. He was an avid reader and also studied alternative medicine practices. He enjoyed exercise and yoga classes and spending as much time as he could with his family. He loved and adored his grandchildren and was very involved in their lives and activities. He was a supporter of the Covenant House and Star of Hope.

Stephen was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, E. Carlyle Smith Jr. and wife Ouida D. Smith.

Stephen is survived by his loving wife of 55 1/2 years, Alice Erickson Smith of Cypress, TX; son, Eric C. Smith and wife Mary Anne Smith of Hockley, TX; daughter Stephanie Smith Plake and husband Daniel Plake of Huntsville TX; his grandchildren Eric C. Smith Jr., Sydney M. Smith, and Wyatt M Plake; and his younger brother Stanley Gordon Smith along with a host of cousins, nephews, family, friends and grand-dogs.

Stephen was a kind, inquisitive, and honorable man, husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He was incredibly generous, and gave without hesitation to those in need. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

The Smith family would like to give a special thanks to Ms. Gloria Salazar for the incredible loving care, help, and friendship she gave to Stephen, Alice, and our family during his final years. We would also like to thank the wonderful staff of Spring Cypress Assisted Living for all the care, love, and support they have given to Stephen and Alice.

A visitation will be held at 2:00 PM on Friday October 6, 2023, at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home Chapel prior to the Celebration of Life at 3:00 pm.

A private Inurnment will follow the memorial service for family and close friends.

Flowers are welcomed. However, as an alternative to flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Stephen’s name to Covenant House of Houston, The Star of Hope, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, and the American Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.