Ronald Dean Smith passed away peacefully 22 February 2026 with his sister Linda and niece Angi by his side at the veterans nursing facility in Big Spring, Texas. He had been a resident there for the past three years.
Ronald was born 19 January 1933 to Oral Vernon and Clara Pearl (Wood) Smith in Pettit, Texas. He was the oldest child of nine. His father had four other children from a previous marriage. During his early childhood the family moved around the Pettit, Levelland and Whiteface communities until the middle forties when they packed up and moved to the Chickasha, Oklahoma.
While living In Chickasha Ronald and his brothers Bennie and Phil began working as golf caddies at the Chickasha Country Club for tips. Being the oldest Ronald went to work full-time in 1947 as a greens keeper for Woody Kerr, the Club Pro at the Country Club. He spent most of his time working and often slept on a cot in the basement of the clubhouse. During this time he often caddied for Woody Kerr in local surrounding golf tournaments and became friends with a young future U. S. Open Champion Orville Moody.
In October 1952 Ronald received his draft induction letter from Uncle Sam. He immediately went down to the local Recruitment office and joined the Air Force. After basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas his first duty assignment was at Carswell AFB, Fort Worth, Texas working as a linen specialist at the base hospital. He arrived just in time to witness some of the action for the filming of actor Jimmie Stewart's movie Strategic Air Command. After a year Ronald decided and volunteered to train into the aircraft maintenance career field and was sent to Sheppard AFB, Wichita Falls, Texas for schooling.
Ronald's mom, dad and family had moved back to Levelland and when time permitted he would go and visit them. On one such weekend he met the love of his life, Glenna Pierce a high school friend of his sister Bobby. Glenna and Ronald were married in Levelland on 3 July 1954. The day after Ronald had completed his training at Sheppard AFB.
After their marriage they were off to Walker AFB, Roswell, New Mexico. At Walker, Ronald worked on the B-36 Peacemaker bomber. In June 1955 the couple welcome their first child Roy into the family. After his enlistment was up in 1956 Ronald packed up the family and drove to Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, Texas and reenlisted for four more years. At Goodfellow Ronald worked on the TB-25 Mitchell bomber. While in San Angelo Richard was born in September 1957 when Glenna was visiting her parents in Levelland.
Then came an assignment at Randolph AFB, Universal City, Texas followed by an oversees tour to Japan at Tachikawa AB, Tokyo. While in Japan Ronald worked on the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, nicknamed "Old Shaky", and here Roger was born in January 1961. After Japan the family was back in San Antonio, Texas at Kelly AFB where he worked depot maintenance. It was here that Ronald and Glenna brought their first home from Ray Ellison himself in 1962.
In 1964 the family was reassigned to Sheppard AFB. Here Ronald became a Technical Training Instructor teaching aircraft maintenance. After four years he volunteered for duty in Vietnam and spent the year of 1969 serving. After returning home from the war Ronald packed up the family and moved to Lackland AFB, in San Antonio completing a full circle in his career.
At Lackland, Ronald worked as a Military Training Instructor teaching basic training to new enlisted members. Lackland was his last active duty assignment. He retired in November 1972 with 20 years service.
In retirement Ronald and Glenna welcome the last member of the family Becky born in February 1973. He found worked at Gary Aircraft Company in Hondo, Texas. But he seemed to miss the Air Force and in the fall of 1973 he accepted a teaching position teaching Junior ROTC at the New Iberia Senior High in New Iberia, Louisiana. In April 1975 tragedy struck the Smith family when at the tender age of 19 Roy their oldest son died of Aplastic Anemia. Ronald resigned his teaching position and packed the family up and moved to San Angelo. He said that he always liked San Angelo and this is where he wanted to live the rest of his life.
In San Angelo he found his second career as a maintenance worker at the Angelo Community Hospital. He worked at Angelo Community for 16 years until his retirement in 1996. In retirement Ronald love to travel and spent many a day driving to and through the Big Bend National Park and visiting Fort Davis, Texas. He made a trip to see the Little Big Horn National park where Custer made his last stand. Glenna and him made a couple of trips to Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland to visit his daughter Becky, son-in-law Steve and granddaughter Kimberly. They made a trip to the Air Force museum at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. Ronald and Glenna loved driving up to Oklahoma to attend the Wood Family Reunions in Chickasha and to go to the Oklahoma Casinos.
Ronald was preceded in death by his son Roy; his grandson Robert; his parents; his brothers, Thomas, Bennie, Phil, and Arlan; Sisters, Thelma, Edna, Barbra, Bobby, Charlene, Jolene, and Sue. His is survived by his wife Glenna; Sister Linda; Sons, Richard & wife Donna and Roger & wife Betty; daughter Becky & husband Steve; Grandsons Paul, Ricky, John, Royce and Ronald II, Granddaughters Roxy and Kimberly, Great Grandchildren Gabriel, Rachel, Paul Jr, Valarie, Victoria, John II, Royce Jr, Sloane, RonaldJames and many more cousins, nieces and nephews.
