W C Smith Jr.

WC Smith Jr. of Spicewood, Texas passed away on January 25, 2024 at the age of 92. He was born December 11, 1931 in Tylertown, Mississippi. He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara Hobbs Smith; his parents, Idell Moak Smith and Willie Cleveland Smith both of Tylertown, Mississippi as well as his brothers Jimmy Smith and Buddy Smith. He is survived by his daughter Margaret Smith Durham and husband Michael of Spicewood; grandchildren, Christopher Durham and wife, Morgan of Fort Worth: great-granddaughter, Olivia Durham of Fort Worth; aunt Mae Lawrence of Tylertown, Mississippi; sister-in-law, Margaret Hobbs Craig and nephew, James Craig III both of Santa Barbara, California; niece, Ellen Cyr of San Francisco, California.

In WC’s younger years, he played football for Tylertown High in a starting position. Also, served as Class President, a member of the T club and Tide club. During high school, he dated the love of his life, Barbara of which their 70th wedding anniversary would have been next month. After graduating high school, WC attended the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg where he studied Business and played football. WC was drafted into the Army National Reserve where he served a couple of years within the USA.

After college and military, WC with his wife relocated to Vicksburg, Mississippi for a few years. Afterwards, he spent over 30 years with Barbara in New Orleans, Louisiana. WC worked in the Finance industry until he pursued his entrepreneur spirit and started a food trucking service which transported across the United States for 10 years. Next, WC focused his work in the forestry industry to develop a family timber business. During this time, WC built his dream country home at the tree farm north of Tylertown. He and Barbara would spend weekends there to get away from the city life of New Orleans. In 1986, WC was recognized as the Mississippi Tree Farmer of the Year. WC had a lifelong dream of living out west so next he built his mountain retreat in Buena Vista, Colorado. WC was always a big outdoorsman. In Colorado, he skied, rode snowmobiles, hiked, rode ATVs and fly fished for many years around Colorado’s Fourteener Mountains. WC joined the Elks Lodge and has been a member for 30 years. Later, WC and Barbara moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona to enjoy warmer temperatures in the mountain Valley. Next, WC and Barbara moved to Central Texas in Lakeway and New Braunfels to be close to family. After Barbara passed away, WC moved to Spicewood, Texas so family could take care of him and he could still, be independent.

As WC moved throughout his life to desired locations to follow his dreams, he met some great friends along the way. He always treasured family from his aunt to his great-granddaughter and everyone in between. Living with and caring for the wildlife was a very important cornerstone in his life from elk, deer, rabbits, squirrels, birds and hummingbirds. His second passion was all about culinary from growing vegetables, cooking, eating out, hosting parties and ensuring the freezer/pantry were never empty.

Extremely sweet, generous, loving and spiritual, WC has found peace and reunited with his soul mate, Barbara in heaven, as well as, selected his star so that we will see him every night in the sky.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, February 10th at 2:30pm at the Lakeway Church with a Celebration of Life event at the Lakeway Activity Center immediately following.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Foundation Fighting Blindness as they focuses on research of eye diseases as WC had severe macular degeneration for many years.