William Ramer Smith

William “Bill” Ramer Smith passed away in Austin at age 79 on December 4th, 2023. He was born on January 29, 1944 in Morrilton, Arkansas, the only child of the late Jesse Dewey Smith and Frances Ramer Smith of Moro, Arkansas. His loving wife Catherine Houston “Kay” Umstattd Smith, preceded him in death in June of last year. He is survived by his only child, Oliver Preston Smith, his wife Christiana, and their children Hudson, Parker, Avender, Titus, Ambrose and Esli of Weatherford, Texas. Also surviving is his brother-in-law Hale Bremond Umstattd, his wife Shannon, and their children Reid (Jena) Umstattd, Shelby (Ben) Barnes, Courtney (Nick) Quintana, and Leigh (Chris) Weyand.

Bill grew up in Moro, Arkansas. His father was a general merchandise store and cotton gin owner, and his mother was a homemaker and teacher. He graduated with a BA from Hendrix College, an MBA from State College of Arkansas, and a PhD from the University of Arkansas. He served six years as a member of the 206th Field Artillery Regiment, Arkansas Army National Guard.

After finishing his education and military service, Bill lived and worked in Houston for several years where he and Kay met. They married, and moved to Austin where they lived the rest of their lives, passing away a year and a half apart.

Bill was generous with his time, talents, and treasures to the benefit of others, never seeking recognition, always looking to make right, that which could be made right through his quiet and often unseen works.

As a father, Bill was straight to the point, granting no quarter to confusion in the mind of his son. He once wrote to his son “God has provided you with all the tools and strength you need to succeed in the face of any difficulty. It is only necessary that you believe in God as His workman here on earth.”

However, son and father would jointly agree without a doubt that Kay was by far and away the best thing that ever happened to Bill, and he was blessed with clear awareness of this fact throughout their four decades of marriage. The overflow of their love and life together was manifest in a core group of friends that Bill was steadfast and loyal to. Second only to Kay’s dedication to Bill, the greatest honor to Bill by far are the character and caliber of individuals that called him friend and mourn his passing.

Bill will be interred next to Kay in a private ceremony. In lieu of flowers, please donate in his name to The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd (3201 Windsor Rd, Austin, TX 787030), The Settlement Home for Children (1600 Payton Gin Rd, Austin, TX, 78758), or the charity of your choice.