Fred Franklin Smith Jr.

Born in Miami, Florida, on October 25, 1933, as the eldest son of Fred Franklin Smith, Sr., and Alice E. Schmieder Smith, Freddie spent his formative years in Albany and Moultrie, Georgia. At the age of seven or eight, he took his first job on a bicycle route delivering the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He said Sundays were the toughest, with the extra-heavy bag across his shoulders increasing his difficulty in throwing the bulkiest edition of the newspaper, but after much practice, he could land each customer’s paper in the same spot every time. As an adult, he expected the same service from his own paper carriers. Freddie also helped sell household goods and staples from his grandfather’s rolling store. He enjoyed helping fill kerosene lamps and “trade with folks,” as he called it; however, he decided after a few years that he’d seen enough chickens have their necks wrung to last a lifetime, and he moved on to other pursuits.

The family relocated to Monticello, Florida, where Freddie attended Jefferson County High School and the First Presbyterian Church. A member of the Glee Club, vice president of his junior class, and a basketball and football player during his sophomore, junior, and senior years, Freddie loved his school days and spoke fondly of his classmates. He weighed just 146 pounds—a weight to which he always aspired to return. He graduated with the class of 1950, and in 2000, attended his 50-year class reunion; he had a wonderful time and talked about it for many years. Freddie often said the 1950s were the best decade to be brought up in and that the music, the movies, and the people were unparalleled by today’s standards.

Freddie proudly served our country in the United States Army during the Korean Conflict from 1954-1956. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, successfully completing Ordnance Corps as an Ammo Specialist and served with the 5th ORD CO (DS). After his honorable discharge from the Army, Freddie met and married the love of his life, Julie Ann Merryman. They soon welcomed a son, Michael Ray Smith and daughter, Angie Michelle Smith. The young family resided in Perry, Florida, where Freddie was employed by Buckeye Cellulose Corporation/Procter & Gamble for 36 years. He worked in the waste-water management department, responsible for testing water samples to help ensure the safe release of chemicals into the local waterways.

In 1996, Freddie retired and moved to El Paso to be near his daughter. He loved the history of the American Cowboy and the culture of the Old West. He said the wide-open spaces and dry desert landscape brought him calmness and peace. He would often ride his motorcycle on the backroads of Ruidoso, Old Mesilla, and Lincoln, New Mexico, where he walked through old cemeteries reading headstones from the 1800s and learning about Billy the Kid. A born explorer, Freddie visited the Trinity Site and many other places into his early eighties, taking countless photographs of the animals, people, and oddities along the way that he found interesting. With his keen sense of humor, he wrote humorous captions above his photos and those he’d clip from the newspaper. Freddie was known for his tinkering and repurposing, such as turning a sardine can into a picture frame. His curious mind fueled his fascination with Area 51 and Roswell, where he pondered the possibility of alien life on Earth.

Freddie’s favorite hobbies always included a fast car and a fast boat, with a personal goal of having the fastest boat on the water. He and his brother Wayne often raced each other on the Suwannee River in Florida, where the family spent many vacations. When in his native Florida, Freddie enjoyed walking the trails at the lighthouse, Cedar Key, boating on the St. Mark’s and Wacissa Rivers, eating freshly shucked oysters accompanied by a cold beer, a delicious seafood platter, and of course, Florida State football. These memories of Freddie will be forever cherished by his children and grandchildren, as they brought him immense joy and happiness.

In addition to his parents, Freddie was preceded in death by his former wife Julie Ann Merryman Glover; his brother, Robert Collins Smith, his sister Eleanor Gail Anderson, and his son Travis May; and his grandparents, Bertie and Ella Smith.

Left to cherish his memory are his beloved children, Michael Ray Smith and his wife Tara; Angie Michelle Smith Myers and her husband Sheldon; his grandsons, Jesse Smith and Hunter Myers; his younger brother Wayne Smith; his sister-in-law, Hilda Smith; Keri McClellan, her husband Chad, and son Eli; nephew Randy Tinker and his wife Teresa; Joseph Anderson and his wife Hope; and many other relatives. Freddie also leaves behind his beloved cats.

A celebration of life for Fred Franklin Smith is scheduled for December 21, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Wacissa Christian Church, followed by internment with Military Honors at Roseland Cemetery in Monticello, Florida.

His daughter Angie says, “Dad, to say that you will be missed is an understatement. You never failed to say, ‘Be careful going home’. I will forever miss that loving concern and farewell.”