Ronnie Lee Smith

Ronnie Smith Sr. aka “D-Bo”, was born in Blythe, CA on June 6, 1966 to Evelyn McDonald and Harry Smith and died on December 23, 2016 in Yuma, AZ. He was the oldest of 4 brothers and 3 sisters. Ronnie was a son, father, grandfather, friend, brother, and a mini chef. Of the many hats the he wore, being a doting father and grandfather was his priority.

A short narrative and fun facts about Ronnie would include being called “Papa” by his grandchildren. They always put a huge smile on his face and that made him so happy. He took pride into spending quality time with each one of his grandkids and took many pictures just to show everyone how proud he was and would dare you to mess with anyone of them! He spent the majority of his life living between California and Oregon until he made Arizona his permanent residence. But that didn’t stop him from traveling up and down I-5. He spent most of his free time on the river and in the park playing cards talking loud. He always made sure he had time for his family too. He would go to his mom’s house every day to check up on her and to eat up all the food. His mom acted like it bothered her but it really didn’t. He would call his kids regularly. He even made special trips to spend time with his kids and grandkids. He was like a big kid when it came to them. And even though he could be frugal with his money at times, there was no limit to how much money he would spend on his grandkids. He would just shake his head and get them whatever they wanted. He also became a great cook and that resulted into him selling BBQ dinners and Fish dinners with the help from his mom making the side dishes.

When “D-Bo” was in town you always knew it because he would be the loudest and he made his presence known. He would flash his smile and ask you, “what you got for me?”. Once he was done with his business, he was ready to party. He was the true definition of turn up! He made sure his clothes were nice (jeans heavily starched), his face was shaved, and he had plenty of cologne. Then once he was out, he would get on the dance floor and dance all night with the biggest smile. He was an amazing man that loved life and lived it to the fullest. Ronnie was a protector, a provider, and played a pivotal role in many lives for the 50 years we had with him. He will truly be missed.

He is survived by his mother, Evelyn McDonald; his father, Harry Smith; step fathers, Alfred McDonald and Earl Brown; his brothers; Sammy Colter, Arnell Brown, and Charles Brown; his sisters; Latanda, Nikkia and Nanette; his children; Marquita Smith, Brady, Tiawanna Smith, Ronnie Smith Jr., Maximillian

Smith, Khaliyah Smith, and Elijah Smith, his grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.