Richard Foster Smith

Richard Foster Smith, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, passed away on October 22, 2022, three days after celebrating his 93rd birthday. A kind, outgoing man who was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome, he was good with his hands, generous with his time, loved to laugh and tell stories, and made friends everywhere he went.

Foster was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on October 19, 1929, to Gid and Otis Smith. Both his father’s parents were Cherokee, a heritage Foster took great pride in all his life. When he was four, his family moved to Texas, but he always returned to Oklahoma during the summer, where he enjoyed working on his grandparents’ farm, learning to ride and train horses, and exploring his Native American roots.

At Lamar High School in Houston, Foster met Jacquelyn “Jackie” Stevens, whom he fell in love with at first sight. They made quite a pair — him six foot three, her barely five feet in heels — but after their first date, they were nearly inseparable, at each other’s side for 75 years until she passed away in 2021.

After high school, Foster enrolled at Texas A&M University, where he joined the Corps of Cadets and played the trombone in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. His time in College Station left a lasting impression: He taught the Aggie War Hymn to his kids and rarely missed a football or baseball game on TV.

After Foster and Jackie got married, he began his career working in department stores, eventually moving to Austin and managing the Ben Franklin Toy Castle. He later bought and operated his own business, the Tru-Tex Candy Factory, and also co-owned the Brackenridge Eagle miniature railroad in San Antonio. After a quarter-century in retail, Foster sold the business and embarked on a new career as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. He delivered mail for 20 years, then served for another 25 years on the board of the Government Employees Federal Credit Union. But in retirement, Foster missed working with people, so he got his real estate license and spent two more decades as a realtor.

In 1952, Jackie and Foster had a son, Steve, followed by daughter Karen three years later. A devoted dad, Foster spent evenings and weekends with the family, coaching Little League teams, taking them boating on Lake Austin, and playing country songs on the guitar in his living room accompanied by his unforgettable baritone. He taught both kids to play baseball, ride horses, water ski, hunt, and fish, with frequent camping trips mixed in during deer season.

In 1983, Jackie and Foster moved to their dream house on Lake Austin, which they designed and Steve built. It was at the lake that Foster embraced being “Granddaddy,” teaching his grandkids the same things he taught his kids, always ready with a pocketknife to open toys on Christmas Eve.

Foster was a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation, a Ben Hur Shriner and a 32nd Degree Mason. He joined the Masons in 1955 and remained active with the organization throughout his life, serving as Lodge treasurer, volunteering at their annual golf tournament and forging many lasting friendships.

But all his life, Foster was always happiest when he was outdoors. He was an especially avid hunter right until the end, bagging his best buck ever last year at the age of 92. He spent his final day doing what he loved, hunting until dark before pulling off his boots one last time.

Foster was preceded in death by his brothers, Larry and Jerry Smith, and his dear wife, Jackie. He is survived by his sister Pat (Gerald) Hartman, his son Steve (Cindy) Smith; his daughter Karen (Steve) Eells; his grandchildren Jessica and Cal Smith and Josh (Annabel) Eells; his great-grandchildren Dylan Barnes, Jacob and Frances Smith, and Rosemary Eells; and many nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Masonic Solomon Lodge #484, PO Box 162, Taylor, TX, 76574, or to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldencapitalparks.com for the Smith family.