Ethel Roberta Vidal Smith

She was born November 2, 1934, in Brownsville, Texas, to José María Vidal and Verna Maude Brown Vidal. Ethel and her family lived in Brownsville as well as several other small Texas towns before settling in Galena Park, Texas in 1950.

On July 20, 1952, she married the love of her life, Lindsey Troxell Smith, Sr. They met at a Methodist Youth Fellowship fundraiser. The night she met him, Ethel told her mother, “I think I’ve met the man I’m going to marry.” For sixty-two years Ethel and Lindsey committed to each other through good times and bad. Together they gave birth to six children, experienced the loss of their eldest daughter, and in total raised eight children.

Ethel was a lifelong student who loved learning, reading and challenging herself and the common beliefs of her time. She often reflected about getting to see Martin Luther King, Jr. and Harry Belafonte at a civil rights rally she attended in Houston, remarking that when they were smoke-bombed out of the vicinity, “the smoke sure did clear [her] sinuses.” In 1989, she graduated Co-Valedictorian from San Jacinto Junior College, proving it is never too late to go back to school. Learning to speak Spanish, learning about different cultures, family history, world history and more things than we can list. Ethel was a true inspiration for unconditional love and inclusion.

As a woman of deep faith and service, she was very involved in the Galena Park United Methodist Church until it closed in 2016. She taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and held many offices in the United Methodist Women. She spent countless hours participating in outreach programs for those in need. She was a kind, thoughtful and generous neighbor and friend who cared deeply about community and connection.

Ethel was a devoted daughter, sister, aunt and cousin. She and Lindsey lovingly and tenderly cared for her mother and his parents as they aged and their lives ended. Ethel was born on her sister Donna’s second birthday and they never failed to be together on November 2 as long as they were both living. For decades, all the siblings gathered annually and they kept the tradition of the Big Family Christmas Party going for over seventy years. She maintained relationships with nieces and nephews, keeping up with each family branch as it grew. Ethel also remained close to cousins and second cousins. Her cousin Jackie was like a sister. Ethel and her second cousin Bea spoke often, reminiscing about the adventures they had living next door to each other as children in El Jardin.

Ethel was a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother. She took tremendous pride in all of her descendants’ accomplishments. Over the span of thirty-eight years, she guided eight children through Galena Park schools and was honored with a lifetime membership in the PTA. She enjoyed attending sporting events, school plays, musicals, recitals, graduations, ordinations, weddings, baptisms, and many other family celebrations.

Caring for her family was one of her life’s passions. In addition to cooking and baking delicious meals and treats, she sewed countless dresses and costumes and planned elaborate themed birthday parties for her children. She loved holidays, even the obscure ones, making sure to bake pecan pies for Texas Independence Day and apple pies for St. Swithin’s Day. She enjoyed word games of all kinds and spent many hours playing and winning Scrabble games, both in person and online. Also, Ethel never missed sending greeting cards to all her loved ones for every big life event or occasion. She continued to do so throughout her life, even when it became very difficult for her.

Ethel was preceded in death by her husband Lindsey Troxell Smith, Sr.; daughter, Roberta Lynn Smith Burnett; parents José María Vidal and Verna Maude Brown Vidal; brother Joseph Arthur Vidal; sisters Pauline Verna Vidal, Donna Faye Vidal Maxwell, Mona Evelyn Vidal Y’barbo, and Catherine Nelda Vidal Cooper; granddaughters Eliza Hope Thomas, Juliet Therese Rivera, and Brianna Lynn Thomas; and great-grandson Ian Monroe Crampton.

She is survived by:

❖ Seven children: daughter Shirley Smith of Manor, sons Lindsey Smith, Jr. of Victoria, Larry Smith (Cynde) of Sugar Land, Mitchell Smith (Julie) of Bastrop, daughters Stacy Thomas (James) of Dallas, Sharon Smith of Galena Park and son Robert Smith (Susan) of Spring.

❖ Twenty-six grandchildren: Amy DeBakey (John), Tony Salinas (Vianey), Megan Salinas, Michelle Smith, Trey Smith (Zoe), Shane Slough, Ace Cole (Nicole), Marc Psencik (Tatiana), Shay Psencik (Paige), Madelyne Tolliver, Kayte Dupont (Pierre), Jason Smith (Courtney), Jaymes Rivera, Skyler Smith (Vaughn), Treyvon Smith (Emily), Brent Northcutt, Sonora Thomas, Jacob Harrison, Kylee Harrison, Camryn Smith, Cade Smith (Molly), Colson Smith, Elizabeth Smith, Anthony Smith, Brooke Enderli, Jacob Marshall

❖ Twenty-five great-grandchildren: Jordan de la Torre, Steven de la Torre, Tyler DeBakey, Amethyst Edwards, Blake Riley, Ezra Salinas, Adrian Martinez, AJ Martinez, Makenzi Smith, Lily Smith, Quade Smith, Ella Cole, Ainsley Cole, Hadley Psencik, Kyndell Psencik, Livian Psencik, Zachary Tolliver, Zakhery Smith (Brie), Rebekah Smith, Rylee Smith, Cayla Dupont, Grayson Smith, Lindsey Smith, JJ Smith, Casey Northcutt, Denny Mitchell

❖ One great-great-grandchild: Eli Smith

❖ Cousin Jackie Ruffino and numerous nieces and nephews

Visitation will be held at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX 77023, on July 2, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, followed by a Funeral Service at Forest Park Lawndale Funeral Home on July 3, 2026, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. A Committal Service will take place at San Jacinto Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 14659 East Fwy, Houston, TX 77015, on July 3, 2026, from 2:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of love and support from family and friends. Thank you for grieving and remembering with us during this time; it is a great comfort to us all.

Love you more.