William Oscar Smith

William Oscar Smith, known to his friends as W O, died peacefully at his home on Tuesday, January 4, 2005. He was 84 years old. He was born in Slaton, Texas on March 12, 1920 to Laura Maude Baldree Smith and Stacy Alexander Smith. He spent most of his early life in Marlin, Texas, where he graduated from high school. He moved to Austin in 1946, to attend the University of Texas, and has remained here since. When World War II broke out, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He served in the 40th Bomb Group, the first B-29 Group in the Air Force, as First Sergeant and Sergeant Major. During the War they were stationed in Puerto Rico, Panama, Pratt, Kansas, Chakulia, India, Cheng-tu, China, and the Island of Tinian in the Marianas. Memories of this service were always clear to W O, and he enjoyed reminiscing at the reunions of the Group. When he returned from the War, W O enrolled at the University of Texas to study Architectural Engineering. He graduated from UT in 1950, and went to work for D. E. Farr and Associates in Austin. He later founded Drafting Associates, which he ran until he was 80. W O was an avid outdoorsman. He spent many happy days fishing on the Texas Coast at Laguna Madre and Port Aransas, and in Mexico at Lake Guerrero. He loved hunting in the Texas Hill Country with his good friends, and was President of the International Hunting and Fishing League of Texas. He was an active member of the Episcopal Church, serving as Senior Warden at Church of the Resurrection, and on the Board of St. Andrews School. Most recently, he has been a member of St. John’s in Austin. He was a Mason and a member of the Hill Country Lodge. W O never met a stranger. He was kind and gentle to all he met. His many friends came from all ages and all walks of life. He was a devoted Longhorn fan. A friend once said, “ he supports the Longhorns from ping-pong to football.” In 1948 he married Mary Pauline Stephens. They had three children and were divorced in 1972. He later married Ermine French Worrell, his devoted wife of the past eighteen years. He is also survived by: his son and daughter-in-law, Clayton Smith and Anne Hyde-Smith of Boulder, Colorado and their children Trent and Blake; his daughter and son-in-law, Janet and David “Buck” Seals of Sitka, Alaska and their children Grady, Lonnie, and Marcy; step-children Wayne Worrell and wife Suzanne of Austin, Tricia Stewart and her daughter Kellye of Flowersville, Michigan; his brother Elwayne Smith and wife Lee of Wichita, Kansas, sister Sue Coffman of Yuba City, California; numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his brother Stacy B. Smith, his brother-in-law Lamoin Coffman, and his daughter Nancy Russell. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 7, 2005 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 8, 2005 at St. John Episcopal Church, 11201 Parkfield. Interment will follow at Austin Memorial Park. Those wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Austin, PO Box 50434, Austin, Texas 78763, (512) 420-9810, or a charity of personal choice. Memorials and guestbook online at wcfish.com