Robert Leroy Smith passed away Nov. 30, 2014.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Eli Leroy and Matilda Elizabeth Smith; sister Elaine Crone; and daughter Kelly Lee Smith.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Beverly Turner Smith; sister Barbara Jordan and husband Laverne; daughters Donna Fatheree and husband Jim and Sherry Wehner and husband Paul; and son Michael Smith and wife Nancy. He is also survived by five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Robert Leroy Smith (known by all as “Smitty”) was born in a lumber camp in D’Lo, Mississippi, on Sept. 3, 1926. His family moved to Oak Grove, Louisiana, while he was an infant. He graduated from Oak Grove High School in May 1943 at the age of 16 and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy that September at the age of 17.
He served in the amphibious forces and on aviation rescue craft during the war in the Pacific, attaining the rank of petty officer third class. He was discharged in March 1946.
Smitty married his lifelong partner, Beverly Alberta Turner, on Aug. 30, 1946, and he enrolled in college that same year. He graduated magna cum laude in petroleum engineering from Louisiana State University in May 1950 and immediately went to work for the Chevron Corp. The first 20 years of his 35-year career with Chevron included a wide variety of assignments in domestic operations, ranging from the Gulf of Mexico to the Rocky Mountains.
Smitty’s first foreign assignment was as chief engineer and construction manager for the Caltex joint venture in Indonesia. His next assignment was to Chevron’s corporate headquarters in San Francisco. He was ultimately promoted to chief production engineer for Chevron’s worldwide operations in 1979.
In August 1981, Smitty and Beverly returned overseas, while Smitty served as vice president of the Stemco Division of Aramco in Saudi Arabia for three years. After completing that assignment, he retired in September 1984, and he and Beverly moved to Lake LBJ in the Texas Hill Country, where they planned to live out their days.
Smitty loved hunting, fishing and telling the many stories of his illustrious life. But his greatest love was spending time with his family. His favorite time of year was Christmas, when his family would gather around him and he could sing Christmas carols to his heart’s content.
A celebration of life is 10:30 a.m. Dec. 16 at Trinity Episcopal Church of Marble Falls.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Robert’s memory may be made to one of the following organizations: the Salvation Army at salvationarmy.org; Calvary Episcopal Church, 806 Thompson Road, Richmond, TX 77469; Trinity Episcopal Church, 909 Ave. D, Marble Falls, TX 78654; or the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
Arrangements by Edgar & Jenkins Family Funeral Home, 109 N. Main St. in Burnet, (512) 756-4444. Go to jenkinsserves.com to offer condolences.
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