William Robert Smith

A Memorial Service celebrating the Heavenly reward of eternal life for William Robert “Smitty or W.R.” Smith, Sr. who passed away Thursday, August 4, 2016 will be held Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 10:00 am in the Family Chapel at Brookside Funeral Home, 13747 Eastex Freeway, Houston, Texas. A graveside service will follow at Brookside Memorial Park with Donald Savell officiating both services.

Mr. W.R. Smith was born August 26, 1931 at Greenville, Ms. to his parents, Tillman Lafayette Smith and Jessie Zorilda DuVall Smith. When he was a small child, the family moved to Tunica, Louisiana living on the banks of the Mississippi River until he was an adult. Having been named after both of his grandfathers, he was proud of this fact and lived to see the names carried forward with the naming of his own children and grandchildren. He was born during the Depression Era and learned at an early age the meaning of hard, physical work. By the early age of eight years old he was helping his older brothers float loads of logs down the Mississippi River to the sawmills, picking cotton or fishing and hunting to help put food on the family table. He carried this trait of being a hard worker throughout the rest of his life.

He moved to Humble, Texas as a young newlywed in early 1952 and dug his roots down deep and considered himself a native Texan for the next 64 years of his life. He worked for McCullough Tool Co. as a mechanic for almost 20 years before taking the giant step of being a business owner and opening his own mechanics shop, Smith’s Auto Service in Kingwood, Texas in the early 70’s and ran it until he closed it at his retirement in 2013.

He was also very involved in politics, splitting his time between Texas and Washington, D.C. He served as a member of the Presidential Inner Circle under 3 Presidents, served on several other committees for the Republican Party and was awarded numerous medals for his efforts. He was most proud of his Congressional Medal of Freedom awarded to him by President Ronald Reagan.

He is preceded in death by his parents, several siblings, sisters: Eula Smith Ingram and her Husband Oran Ingram and Beatrice Smith Dedon and her husband Hubert Dedon, brother: John, Ralph, Erwin and his wife Barbara, Albert Leonard, Huey and Leo Smith, sister-in-law Bootsie Smith and one granddaughter; Allyson Simon Pintello of Willis, TX.

He is survived by his 4 children: William Robert “Pete” Smith, Jr. and his wife Nancy Bailey Smith of Kingwood, TX., Shelia “Shay” Smith Nobles and her husband Cliff Nobles of Mangham, LA, Mathew Allen “Matt” Smith of Willis, TX and Robert Paul “Tater” and his wife Ingrid Mayenburg Smith of Iola, TX. He is also survived by two stepchildren he helped raise, Tommy Kaiser and his wife Lisa of New Caney and Sherrie Kaiser O’Conner and her husband Bill Of League City, TX and their children. Grandchildren: Jody and his wife P.J. Montgomery Nobles of Alto, LA, Jory “BeBe” and his wife Kristen Hensley Nobles of West Monroe, LA, Robert Colin Smith of Kingwood, TX, William Aaron Smith of Santa Fe, NM, Madeline Smith and Jordan Smith of Willis, TX. Great-grandchildren: Dalton and his wife Annmarie Hughes Nobles of El Dorado, AR., Tyler Nobles and Alyssa Nobles of West Monroe, LA, Serenity Smith and Arianna Smith of Kingwood, TX. Great-great grandson, Dalton Clay Nobles, Jr. of El Dorado, AR. He is also survived by his long-time secretary and friend, Nelda Light and her husband Billy and his two loyal feline companions, Colonel and Prince. He is also survived by his brothers; Raymond Smith and Michael Smith and his wife Sandy of Baton Rouge, LA and Martin James Smith of Richards, TX. His sisters: Jewell Smith Floyd Mims of Zachary, LA. and Evelyn Smith Jones and her husband Floyd of Knoxville, TN; sister-in-law Sandra Smith of Denham Springs, LA. and many nieces and nephews and other extended family and friends.