He was born in the Santa Fe Railroad Section House on the corner of Fowler and Riverdale Avenues in Laton. He was preceded in death by his siblings; a brother Jay Smith and a sister Lila Waller.
Oliver attended Laton schools and graduated from Laton High in 1941. He served four years in the US Navy, where he was stationed most of the time at Pearl Harbor. He had arrived there about one year after the bombing. While there, he helped rebuild the Navy and the yard as a Metal Smith 1st Class Officer.
After his term in the Navy, he returned to the states. He made a home for the next 40 years on Valentine Avenue in Riverdale. He had one child, a daughter named Lyndee.
Oliver D. Smith, known to many as "Smitty," was well known in the Riverdale area for his business, the Oliver D. Smith Insurance Agency. He was an independent agent until he retired, at the age of 56, on June 15, 1980. He sold his business to Jim Petty, and then moved to Oceano, California, to enjoy his retirement.
Never one to sit still, he built 15 homes in the Oceano area during his retirement Smitty also enjoyed restoring several cars throughout his retirement.
Oliver was one of the founders of the Riverdale and Laton Rodeo Associations in the 1950's. He is recognized today by the Riverdale Rodeo Association as a Charter Member. He was also active in the Laton Community, where he served on the Board of Directors of the Laton Lions Rodeo.
Until the end, he remained interested in his daughter, his friends and Riverdale. He stayed in touch with people and enjoyed relatively good health. He passed away at his home in Oceano on November 8, 2018, at the age of 96 years.
Besides his brother and sister, Oliver was preceded in death by the love of his life, Marilyn Darby. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Lyndee & Lance Stairs, who are co-owners of Stairs Ranch in rural Lemoore.
The family would like to extend their sincerest and heartfelt gratitude to Socorro and Maria Arevalo; they were more than outstanding caretakers for the past many years. They were devoted friends.
