Randlow Smith passed away peacefully with family by his side, on Saturday, March 23, 2019 after a long and fulfilling life. Randlow was born in New York City on June 19, 1920 to Joshua Soul Smith and Anna Randlov. After losing his mother 13 months later, he was adopted by his aunt, Vaughn Hall. He came to Weatherford Texas for his schooling under the stewardship of another aunt, Lillian Chandler. Randlow became high school valedictorian and was accepted into Cal Tech at the age of 15. He was one of the first Texas graduates from Cal Tech, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in 1940 and his Master of Science in 1941. Later he would receive a second master’s degree in Mathematics in 1958 from NYU while working at Texaco.
Randlow started his long career with Texaco in 1941 as an engineer designing aviation gasoline plants. He joined the Navy in 1944 and rose to the rank of Lieutenant. He served mostly aboard the heavy cruiser, the USS Wichita. The Wichita was involved directly in air and submarine attacks and the assault on Okinawa. The Wichita was the first big ship into Nagasaki after the atomic bomb drop. He toured the bombed area and he participated in the removal and repatriation of Allied POWs from Japan. When the war ended Randlow then resumed his career as well as married the love of his life, Mary Phyllis Manning, in 1947. They were married for 58 years and had five children, Phyllis Ann, Randlow Jr, Pamela, Brian, and Trevor. Later they were blessed with daughter-in-law, Carol Guiel and son-in-law, George Huebner as well as 5 grandchildren, Randlow III, Amy, Holly, Laura and Taylor.
Randlow was with Texaco for 43 years. During that time he received 8 patents in design for equipment used in oil refineries. He was transferred to Houston in 1960 where upon he became Assistant General Manager in charge of all Chemical Engineers. After he retired from Texaco, he moved to Santa Fe New Mexico and designed and built a passive solar house where he and Mary lived until returning to Texas in 1997 to be closer to family.
Randlow had many interests and hobbies over his lifetime. He was on the Cal Tech Golf team and was able to play with the great Babe Didrikson Zacharias at the LA Country Club as well as getting in some surfing while living in California. He also enjoyed playing tennis, bridge, astronomy and working on jigsaw puzzles. His passion, though, was his lifetime hobby of working on the Navier-Stokes Equation (one of the millennial problems) This hobby culminated in a trip of a lifetime, via train, to revisit Cal Tech one more time to have his work reviewed in the fall of 2013.
Randlow loved his summers in Bryant Pond Maine at his mother’s summer home throughout most of his lifetime and in his later years spending time in Rangeley Maine with his family.
Randlow was a lifelong Christian who was a strong supporter of Memorial Drive Presbyterian and Grace Presbyterian churches in Houston. Additionally, he was an active supporter of the Star of Hope and M. D. Anderson hospital. He is preceded in death by his parents, daughter, Phyllis Ann, and wife, Mary. A family graveside service was held on March 30 at Memorial Oaks Cemetery in Houston Texas.
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