“Ronnie” was born Ronald Ralph Smith in Corry, PA on April 9, 1939 (Easter Sunday). He was born into a farming family on a 200 acre farm in a rural area of Amity Township. He was the 4th child in a family that totaled 7 children. He graduated 2nd in his class from Wattsburg High School in 1956.
He joined the United States Air Force in July 1956 and received training in radio, radar and electronic countermeasures and was rated as an Electronic Countermeasures Specialist. His first assignments were at Rhein Main Air Base outside of Kaiserslautern in Germany and Fulda Air Station atop Mount Wasserkuppe next to the border with Czechoslovakia. His assignments included electronic listening to radar and voice communications on the Axis forces. His next assignment was in Diyarbakir Turkey at the Air Force Station which was a BMEWS (Ballistic Missile Early Warning Site) in southern Turkey, listening to missile launches and “weird things in space”. After Turkey he was assigned to the SAC Headquarters in Omaha Nebraska where his assignment there was the evaluation of electronic countermeasures data received from worldwide sources. His final tours of duty included Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks Alaska with the Reconnaissance Group and later back to SAC Headquarters in Omaha Nebraska where he completed his service with the Air Force.
His civilian career began with Philco working at the North Truro Air Force Station on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, training students from Kessler on all of the radars and associated equipment for their upcoming oversea assignments. He eventually left Philco and went to work for Honeywell Computer Division in Boston working on their H-series of industrial and commercial computers. He left Honeywell for an offer to work for Philco Tech Rep Division at the NASA Space Center near Houston, Tx. His job site was in building 30 (Mission Control) at NASA where he was assigned to work on the installation and testing of all the video equipment for the two control centers in Building 30 because NASA wanted to relocate Mission Control from Ft Lauderdale Florida to Houston Texas. After his NASA contract for Philco was completed, he went to work for Dresser Controls Division in Houston. In 1970 TRW Controls purchased the Controls Division from Dresser and he relocated to the TRW Controls facilities in southwest Houston as a Quality Engineer. It was at TRW Controls that he met his soul mate and love of his life, Norma. They were married February 1, 1980.
After retiring from TRW Controls/Ferranti International Controls, he enjoyed spending time traveling, hunting, fishing, golfing, bowling, bird watching and being with family and friends, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren who kept him young at heart.
He was preceded in death by his wife Norma B. Smith, father Harold A Smith, mother Madalene Taylor-Smith, brother Harold Paul “Sonny” Smith, sister in law Patricia “Pat” Smith, stepson Robert C Bagwell and grandson Adam Seefurth.
He is survived by his son Derek T. Smith and wife Susan, daughter Gena Marie Smith-Orono, stepdaughter Suzanne Seefurth and husband Tim, stepson Richard Bagwell and wife Jeri, grandson Justin Seefurth and wife Margaret “Maggie”, granddaughter Nicole Rivera-Perez and husband Marco, granddaughter Angela Cook, grandson John H. Smith, granddaughter Verity Rose Smith, great-grandsons Braylon Seefurth, Bradley Seefurth and Lincoln Seefurth, great-granddaughters Adalynn Seefurth and Xaylen Rivera-Perez, sister Marilyn Smith-Moffat and husband Clarence “Pete” Moffat, brothers Donald A. Smith, Bruce C. Smith and wife Rita, Gene R. Smith and wife Charleen, John “Jack” C. Smith and wife Gayle, sister in law Carrie Smith and a host of other family and friends.
He will be remembered as a wonderful husband, dad, Grampy, GG, brother and friend.
Norma was the best wife, mom, grandmother, great grandmother and friend we could have ever been blessed with. She had unconditional and endless love for her family and friends and will be very missed.
She was born Norma Sue Martin in Delhi, LA on December 5, 1944. She was married to the love of her life, Ronald R. Smith. After retiring from TRW Controls/Ferranti International Controls, she went on to become a valuable member of the Tri-City Women’s Club serving in numerous roles including President from 2013-2015. She was so happy to be a part of Tri-City where she met some of her best friends who share in providing opportunities for Social Fellowship and Community Service.
She was preceded in death by her son Robert C Bagwell, grandson Adam Seefurth, mother Beulah Auttonberry-Martin, father Charles R. Martin, brothers Charles A Martin, Mitchell Martin and Thomas Martin and sisters Martha Gayle White, Rita Mae Shaw, and Joan Yvonne Rogers.
She is survived by her daughter Suzanne Seefurth and husband Tim Seefurth, son Richard Bagwell and wife Jeri Bagwell, grandson Justin Seefurth and wife Margaret “Maggie” Seefurth, granddaughter Nicole Rivera-Perez and husband Marco, granddaughter Angela Cook, great-grandsons Braylon Seefurth, Bradley Seefurth and Lincoln Seefurth, great-granddaughters Adalynn Seefurth and Xaylen Rivera-Perez, sister Terry Merritt, brother Jerry Martin, aunts Bonnie Auttonberry and Mae Auttonberry-Zimmer, uncle Louis Auttonberry and a host of family and friends.
She wanted everyone to know that she lived a full and happy life and was blessed with a great husband, loving family and the best of friends. She didn’t want anyone to cry or be sad for her but to be happy for her and that she will see us all again someday.
Thank you, everyone, for all of your kind words and condolences. Our family wants to extend a special thank you to friends Jennifer, Bet, Alma, Shirley and Melody for all of the love and support you have given our family during this time of tremendous loss. To her surrogate God-given daughters Jody, Deanna, Sandra and Laura, she loved you like you were her own. Thank you all for loving her so much.
An In-person Memorial Service will be held for Ronald and Norma on May 8, 2021 at 2pm (CST) at Forest Park Westheimer in Houston, Tx. A simultaneous remote Service will also be held and live streamed at Wattsburg United Methodist Church in Wattsburg, PA. at 3pm (ET) and at https://m.facebook.com/ForestParkWestheimer/?refsrc=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FForestParkWestheimer%2F&_rdr OR click "Join Livestream" under the "Services" box below.
For anyone wishing to or in lieu of flowers, donations are welcome in their names to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Shriners Hospital for Children.
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