Curtis Weldon Smith

Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 10, 2011, at Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home Chapel of Faith, 5701 Highway 277 South, with Dr. Phil Christopher officiating. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park, directed by Elliott-Hamil Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at a visitation 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Mr. Smith was born January 21, 1932 to Norma (Jones) and Roland Conard Smith in Del Rio, Texas. He married Jean Action Jowers. Mr. Smith retired from Prentice Hall Publishers, then a division of Simon and Schuster, Inc., where he served as an Educational Representative in West Texas for many years. Mr. Smith, as a Christian, was a strong believer and supporter of Human Rights and Civil Rights. He and his wife are members of the First Baptist Church of Abilene. Mr. Smith was a long-time active Democrat, serving as President of the Taylor County Democratic Club and other office positions; an active member of the local branch of the NAACP; and a member of the Texas Educational Publishers Association, having served as past president.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, R. Carl Smith.

Survivors include his loving wife of 58 years, Jean Jowers Smith of Abilene; a son, Stephen Frost Smith and wife, Kim, of Houston, Texas; two daughters, Rae Anne Smith Ratliff of Lubbock, Texas and Cheri Dee Mega and husband, Brian, of Arlington, Texas; a brother, Robin Ray Smith and wife, Jackie, of North Richland Hills, Texas; and four grandchildren, Stephen Charles Ratliff, Kristopher Frost Smith, Curtis Lawrence Mega, Kaitlin Emily Smith, two great grandchildren, Madilyn Faith Ratliff, and Connor Curtis Ratliff.