Robert Woods Smith

Robert W. Smith, age 100, departed this world to join his beloved wife, Armenda, on Thursday, October 30, 2025. A native son of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Bob was a proud U.S. Marine who served in the South Pacific in WWII. After the war, he attended and graduated from Berea College, where he met and married Armenda, the love of his life. He went on to a career in teaching in public schools in Ohio, first Monroe High School and then, until his retirement, Fairfield Junior High School. He sincerely enjoyed working with young people and had a true talent for doing so. He spent many extracurricular hours coaching track, advising contestants in oratory competitions, and teaching ballroom dancing.

After retirement, Bob spent much of his time fishing in the Gulf off of Pensacola Beach, celebrating holidays in New Orleans, and cruising to Alaska, the Caribbean Islands and Mexico with his family and friends.

After Armenda’s passing in 2014, Bob made his home in New Orleans, where he walked in Audubon Park, cheered for the Saints and the Bengals and learned to eat crawfish! At 98 years of age, Bob was thrilled to attend the wedding of his older grandson, Scott, and to dance with his new daughter-in-law, Sumner.

Happy, kind, loving, sweet, gentle and outgoing, Bob enjoyed people and never met a stranger. He became the “adopted dad” to many of his daughter’s friends, who showered him with affection and attention.

Bob is survived by his only child Brenda Sue, his favorite son-in-law Craig Tolbert, his cherished grandsons Sean McCloskey Tolbert and Scott Parker Tolbert (Sumner). He is also survived by his brother, Reginald Smith (June), nieces Patricia Collins (Darius) and their children, Samuel and Elisabeth and Carla Eades and her children, Cross and Dublin, and his nephew Michael Smith.

Visitation will be held at Rose Hill Burial Park Mausoleum, 2421 Princeton Rd., Hamilton, OH 45011, on Thursday, November 6, 2025, beginning at 10:00am, until time of services, beginning at 11:00am. Pastor Bill Mountsier, officiating.

To further celebrate Bob’s life, a second memorial service will be held at Rayne Memorial United Methodist Church in New Orleans on November 24, 2025. In his honor, please consider donating to the Rayne Methodist Food Pantry: Rayne Methodist Church 3900 St. Charles Avenue, NOLA 70115, with a memo designating “Food Pantry”.