Mr. Richard Joseph Smith, Jr., -- Beloved husband of the late Frances Donnelly Smith, father, grandfather, and great grandfather died on Thursday, February 6, 2020. A native of Mobile and a parishioner of Little Flower Catholic Church for the past 63 years, Mr. Smith was a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy in Biloxi, MS. He was married in 1945 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church to the former Frances Hope Donnelly. Their 59 year marriage produced 10 children who were their parent’s pride and joy. He owned and operated a successful tile contracting business for over 30 years.
Prior to his marriage, he served in the United States Navy during WWII on the Battleship USS Pennsylvania from 1943 to 1945. His ship was stationed in the Pacific where its crew served courageously in many battles including Attu, Kiska, Wake, Kwajalein, Guam, Peleliu, Leyte, Okinawa and Saipan. He received numerous medals for his valor while in action. The USS Pennsylvania earned eleven battle stars.
As a member of the Greatest Generation of WWII Veterans, and a U.S. Merchant Marine advocate, he was honored and thanked for his service as a VIP guest aboard the US Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise, at sea off Pensacola, FL in 1997, prior to the famed ship’s deployment to the Kosovo war. He was made an honorary crewmember of the Battleship USS Alabama in 2015, and received a Quilt of Valor award with other Veterans at Mobile in 2019.
Mr. Smith loved gardening, caring for animals, and calling Bingo for many years for the Golden Age Club at Little Flower Catholic Church. His greatest joy was spending time with his ever-growing family.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Louise Smith and his sister, Catherine Brown. He is survived by his loving children, Carol (Joe) DuPree, Captain Richard Joseph (Mary Anne) Smith, III, Mount Airy, MD, Marilyn (Roddy) Nelson, Judy (Pat) Kearns, Captain John Donnelly (Valery) Smith, David (Michelle) Smith, Sylvia (Jim) Andrews, Paul (Michelle) Smith, Fran Smith, Morris (Nena) Smith, 27 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren, longtime family friend, Ben Schmeil, and other loved relatives and friends.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, February 10, 2020 from Little Flower Catholic Church at 11:00 A.M.; the family will receive friends from 9:30 A.M. until service time Monday morning at the church. Interment will follow at Pine Crest Cemetery. Grandsons serving as pallbearers include Walt Armentrout, Joey DuPree, Kenny Flanagan, David Smith, Jr., Ric Smith, IV, Robby Smith, Stephen M. Smith and Matthew Watts. Honorary pallbearers are Joe DuPree, Roddy Nelson, Pat Kearns and Jim Andrews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Little Flower Parish. Funeral arrangements by RADNEY FUNERAL HOMES, Mobile, AL.
