Obituary of Robert D. Smith

Robert D. Smith, of The Villages, FL passed away on September 17th, 2020 of a hemorrhagic stroke. Papa was born on Jan 6th, 1940, many years before he was Papa. Until then he was Bobby Don, Smitty, Bob, Pop, and Dad. All of those names tend to represent different phases of life – each one special – but the name Papa fits like a strong hand in a warm glove! Although the hand has slipped from the glove, the strength and warmth remains in the hearts of all those he touched. 

 

Parents Jay & Dorothy (Hayden); sister Joanna (Wilbur Hurd) all passed before him, leaving his older brother Jack (Marilyn Hatchett) of New Mexico. He also leaves behind a deeply saddened, but grateful family to follow him into the presence of God later: His beautiful, strong, servant-hearted, life-long companion, support and loving wife Betty (Lambert); two enormously proud and grateful kids Mike (Tammy Bice) and Julie (David Ecrement); and four joy-filling life-validating grandchildren Riley (originator of “Papa”), Spencer (Ashley), Shaeffer (fiancée, Katie), and Tanner. All of whom couldn’t possibly be more proud and thankful for the simple, steady, sacrificial life of their Papa.

 

Born in Kenton, OH, loved by so many, he did all the stuff: class president, drum major, class plays, dance bands, and Dairy Queen ice-cream curler par excellence. Two years each at Ohio State and Ohio Northern produced a new electrical engineer, but not until first marching with TBDBITL in a Rose Bowl, and securing the hand of his “Kitten,” Betty Jean.  In the summer of ‘64 they married, she left the farm, and they both left the familiarity of small-town Kenton for the big-city 200 miles to the east, through the Fort Pitt tunnels, and into the Wilkinsburg borough of Pittsburgh, PA. In 1977, after 13 years with WABCO in the engineering department, and a brief time consulting in Virginia, they returned to N. Huntingdon, PA in 1980 to purchase Remote Control Systems, an electronics manufacturing company, servicing the light and heavy rail industry for 34 years. After much hard work, sleepless nights, a quadruple bypass, and myriad business challenges, they moved to Florida in 2003 and retired fully in 2017. A memorial service will be held at a later date at his son’s church in Columbus, Ohio.  Arrangements entrusted with HIERS-BAXLEY Funeral & Cremation Life Event Center, 352-775-7427.  Sentiments may be left online at www.hiers-baxley.com.

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