Bill Smith
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Funeral services for Mr. Bill Smith, 76, of Carthage, Texas will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, March 8, 2021 at the First Baptist Church of Carthage with Dr. Allen Tilley and Rev. Rodney Puryear officiating. Burial will follow in the Odd Fellows Cemetery under the direction of Hawthorn Funeral Home. Visitation will be 1-2:00 p.m. Monday prior to the service.
Mr. William Everett "Bill" Smith was born May 28, 1944 in Haynesville, Louisiana. He passed this life March 4, 2021 in Longview, Texas. Bill was the oldest of three children born to the marriage of William Preston and Mattie Ruth Maddox Smith. He was raised and schooled in Haynesville graduating with the high school class of 1962. He attended N. E. Louisiana College majoring in Pharmacy on a track and cross country scholarship. Bill served his country through the U. S. Air Force as a Pharmacy Tech.
Mr. Smith came to Carthage to run one of the Ben Franklin franchises owned by his family. He worked many years as a Loan Officer for Shelby Panola Savings and Loan, and retired working for Complete Printing and Publishing. Bill was a devoted member of the First Baptist Church of Carthage, active in the choir. He sang with the Calvary Boys for almost 40 years traveling and performing in churches across many states. He was active in the Carthage Noon Lions Club, loved fishing, and in 1987 he qualified and completed the Boston Marathon in the top 1,000. He is preceded in death by his parents; son, Wesley Gates; grandson, Josh Whitten; and his service dog, Belle Starr.
Mr. Smith is survived by his loving wife of 27 years , Tommie Ritter Smith of Carthage; sons, William David Smith and wife April Mae of Stuart, OK, Daryl Deloney and wife Stephanie of Houston; daughters, Lawanda Bridges of Texarkana, AR, Kendra Kay Bates and husband Curt of Atlanta, and Cindy Deloney and fianc? Doug Spradley of Carthage; sisters, Wanda Merritt and husband Randy of Haynesville, LA, and Peggy Holloway and husband Keith of Bossier City, LA; grandchildren, Taylor Ryals, Austin Minson, Zach Spradley, Claire Bates, Alexis Rylas, Abigayle Deloney, Ruby Jo Smith, William Preston Smith II, and service dog Lizzie Jo Smith; numerous other relatives and a host of friends.
An online guestbook can be signed at
www.hawthornfuneralhome.com