W. Harvey Smith was born July 29, 1924 in Elgin, Texas, the son of Rice Sewell Smith and Mabel Siegeler Pauly, and brother of Dorene McNair, Mary Wusterhausen, Roy Smith and Edwin Dewayne Smith (who died in infancy). Harvey was Sewell and Mabel’s oldest child and was born on Mabel’s 17th birthday! He went to Heaven on Friday, January 4, 2013. Harvey was a devoted husband to Mildred Mary Grohman Smith who preceded him in death by eight days on December 27, 2012. Their family is convinced that Mildred went first to make sure everything was ready for Harvey in Heaven! They had been blissfully married for over 66 years. He also was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Roy, his favorite fishing buddy.
As a young man, Harvey worked for the Texas Highway Department and served in the Air Force during World War II. Following his military service, Harvey worked with his father in New Mexico, Wyoming and then El Paso, Texas before returning to Austin. He became a Registered Surveyor in 1956 and established W. Harvey Smith Surveying in the early 1960’s. Early in his career as a surveyor, he designed many of the roads in Austin including the extension of Lamar Blvd. near Pease Park and, later, the original layout of what is now the Mopac expressway. Harvey was well known and respected as a man of high integrity and business ethics. He was an active member of the Austin Civitan Club, serving multiple times as an officer, and was instrumental in the founding of the first Boys Club of the Austin area.
Harvey retired in 1977 to his ranch outside Spicewood, Texas. There he took up the hobby of team roping, and in 1988 and 1989 he was the Over-60 National Champion Team Roper Heeler of the Old Time Rodeo Cowboy Association . He loved to hunt and fish, and, after unsaddling his roping horse for the last time, played golf at Meadowlakes Country Club in Marble Falls. Until his stroke in 2009, Harvey remained very active. He and his dear friend, fellow team-roper, fishing buddy and golfing partner Leslie Stephens, collaborated on a construction crane rental business until they went into the land development business together, forming Martex Investments. Together they developed numerous subdivisions in the Hill Country including Cavern Ranches, Wilderness Cove and Stone Mountain. Harvey was amazingly gifted at looking at raw acreage and envisioning the entire development with a grand entrance and scenic home sites.
Harvey was highly devoted to God and to his church. He and Mildred were founding members of St. Louis Catholic Church in Austin. After moving to the ranch, they were active members of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Marble Falls where he served as a Eucharistic Minister, lay reader, and Council Member.
Harvey married the love of his life, Mildred, on May 5, 1946. He was a loving husband and was known to come up to Mildred, put his arms around her waist and, with a huge grin in his face exclaim, “Look at my sexy Momma!” They were a very affectionate couple and lit up a room with their contagious smiles when they entered together! Their love was very visible! As Mildred’s health declined, Harvey was at her bedside often, holding her hand for hours at a time. After Mildred’s passing, Harvey’s health decline immediately accelerated. Harvey suffered from the effects of cancer as well his 2009 stroke, but he died of a broken heart. Harvey is survived by his four children of whom he was so proud: daughters Jean and her husband Jimmie Plentl, Glenda Flanagan, Sandi and her husband Ollie Crinkelmeyer, and the pride of his life, his only son Danny and his wife Lisa. Harvey’s six grandchildren are Jennifer and her husband David Koenig, Neely and her husband Carl Meyers, Nicole and her husband Matt Johnson, Whitney Davis and her father Lodney C. Davis, Clint and Mollie Flanagan and their father Lloyd Flanagan. He had seven great-grandchildren - Randy, Bradley, Kelly, Austin, Mia, Livi and Madi - as well as a large extended family. The family wishes to extend love and gratitude to the many close friends and family members of Harvey and Mildred as well to the staff and caretakers from Home Care Assistance and from Hospice Austin.
Services:
Sunday January 6
Cook-Walden Funeral Home 6700 North Lamar Blvd., Austin Visitation with the family from 4 pm to 6 pm
Monday January 7
St. Louis Catholic Church 7601 Burnet Rd, Austin Visitation with the family beginning at 12 pm Mass in Celebration of Harvey’s life at 1 pm followed by procession to Forest Oaks Memorial Park 6300 W. Wm. Cannon Drive, Austin
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Harvey’s name to The Care Communities www.thecarecommunities.org
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