Freddie Ray Smith Lt.Col.(Ret)

To Freddie Ray Smith, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Freddie, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Freddie really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

His parents were Felder and Lucy Smith. Freddie was raised in Delhi, Louisiana. Even as a child, Freddie had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.

Always a good playmate, Freddie was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Freddie managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Freddie was raised with seven siblings. He had three brothers-Johncie, Felder, Jr., and Edward and four sisters-Ruth, Julia, Yvonne and Clara.

All of Freddie's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Freddie experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He was good at and loved to play basketball.

Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Freddie was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Freddie simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Freddie, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was Freddie's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Freddie graduated from Waverly High School in 1959. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mrs. Richardson. While at Waverly High school, he became a basketball star!

Freddie reveled in his college years, where his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Freddie was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for Freddie, life was not a case of all play and no work. Freddie relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. He earned his Bachelor Of Science Degree in Business From Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Freddie never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Freddie to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Freddie delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Freddie was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Freddie utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Bernard Myles, Ellis Herron, Fouston Jordan, Ora Nell Hamilton, Lloyd Russell Harris, Alice Faye Washington, Chuck Washington, L S Jordan and Curtis Jones. Throughout his life, Freddie maintained a close brotherly bond with Fouston Jordan. Freddie loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Freddie very easy to approach. On December 24, 1964 Freddie exchanged wedding vows with Dora Turner at At Dora's home in Delhi, Louisiana. He tried hard not to impose on his spouse. He was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Freddie related so well to children was the fact that he never really completely grew up himself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped him in raising his own children. Freddie was blessed with three children, Brenda Armstrong, Christopher R. Smith and Marlon Smith. Freddie had the ability to focus his attention on the present moment. If he was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of his attention was directed. Freddie's compassionate side prevented him from being a strict disciplinarian, and he could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. He could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Freddie had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Freddie was a real “people person. ” he had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and his enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Freddie liked to see himself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Freddie was an adaptable realist, using his common sense and trusting his experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Freddie's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around him to see Freddie as an excellent problem solver. His primary occupation was a Military Officer. He served in the United States Military for 25 years and was employed by the Clark County Nevada School District for 10 years.

Freddie was an Army Veteran. He was in Alaska, Germany twice, Vietnam and various stateside locations. Freddie saw action for one year during the Vietnam War. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He received several awards including a Bronze Star Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Meritorious Service Medals with Second Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with Four Bronze Service Stars; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon with the Numeral 3; Vietnam Campaign Medal; Vietnamese Cross Of Gallantry Unit Citation with Palm; Expert(rifle-M-16); Overseas Service Bars-2; Expert(pistol-.45 cal).

Freddie felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Freddie loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Freddie relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Freddie never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Freddie played basketball, baseball and track. In his college years, Freddie continued to stay active by playing basketball. Recreational sports included basketball and racquetball. Freddie was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were basketball and football(high school, college and professional level).

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Freddie recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member Belleview Baptist Church of Delhi, Louisiana from an early age.

Naturally outgoing and generous, Freddie was regularly doing things for others. For him, the gift of giving to others was second nature. Though he never set out to gain individual recognition, Freddie was given accolades for his many and varied accomplishments throughout his life. Some of his most prestigious awards included his basketball scholarship to Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Freddie believed that you had to experience life, and his life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in retired from the military in 1987, Freddie took it in stride as one more way to have fun. His new life involved relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. With his boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Freddie remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, he found new pleasure in coaching and mentoring his sons and other children. Even in retirement, Freddie continued to stay in touch with his old friends and, since he'd never met a stranger, he made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Freddie passed away on June 27, 2010 at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Henderson, Nevada. Freddie fought a brave battle against cancer. He is survived by his children Brenda(husband William)Armstrong, Christopher R. Smith and Marlon Smith; sisters Ruth St. Cyr, Julia Osborne, Clara Gilbert; Brother Felder Smith, Jr. and a host of loving nieces, nephews cousins and friends. Services were held at Palm Mortuary. Freddie will be laid to rest in the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada on July 6, 2010.

Freddie brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Freddie Ray Smith lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile.