Name: Visitation for William W. Smith
Start: 2024-10-09T18:00:00.000Z
Location: Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home and Crematory - Midland

William W. Smith
01/04/1932 - 10/02/2024
William "Bill" Westbrook Smith, 92, of Midland, TX passed away October 2, 2024. A visitation will be from 1:00pm to 3:00pm on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home.
He was born to Ray and Lois Spencer Smith in Oblong, IL and moved to Robinson, Illinois in 1948. Bill graduated from Robinson High School Class of 1950 and then the University of Illinois, with a BS Mechanical Engineering, Class of 1954. He was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant United States Army Reserve.
Bill went to work for The Ohio Oil CO (now Marathon Oil CO) in Robinson, IL as a Field Engineer. He was called to active duty, February of 1955, attending two schools (116 EOBC & 159 EEMOC) at Ft Belvoir, VA and then on to Germany. He was assigned to the 503 Engineer Co (LE), then 24th Engineer Co and finally the Engineer Training Team GTAG (assigned to the new German Army). Commissioned 1st Lieutenant USAR Aug 1956. On his return to the USA he was at Fort Leonard Wood, MO with the Transitional Training Co.
In Robinson, IL on Oct 4, 1958, he married Eleanor Slunaker of Robinson, IL and they were parents of Elizabeth and Robert. His work career was with Marathon Oil Co: 1957-1967 Robinson, IL, Field Engineer on water flood projects and Project Engineer Fry Institution Project; 1967-1971 Jonesville, MI; Gas Plant Foreman; 1971-1973 Powell, WY Field Engineer Byron- Garland; 1973-1975 Cody, WY Construction Engineer; 1975-1976 Lafayette, LA Construction Engineer, West Cameron Blk 620 Platform; 1978-1986 Midland, XT Senior Construction Engineer Yates Field Unit retiring in 1986.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ray and Lois Spencer Smith. He is survived by his loving wife, Eleanor Slunaker Smith; daughter Elizabeth Ann Smith (Lecta) of Lafayette, LA; son Robert "Bob" Smith of Austin, TX; and brother, Randal Smith (Lynda) of Cicero, IN.
Bill enjoyed volunteer work, traveling, fishing, bird hunting and downhill skiing in Summit County Colorado. He was a member of the Commemorative Air Force, BPOE Elks Lodge of Cody, WY; Sons of American Revolution; Midland Petroleum Museum, Midland Community & Senior Services; and Midland Republican Women.
Special thanks to the staff of Helen Greathouse Manor at Manor Park in Midland, TX and Angels Care Hospice.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the charity of your choice.
Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Midland Reporter-Telegram on Oct. 8, 2024.

Memories and Condolences
for William Smith

2 Entries

Jay Howell

December 30, 2024

Bill was a good friend of mine, we worked together at Marathon in Midland and we bird hunted together many times. He was as good a friend as you could want and was a superior engineer. I sure miss those days in the field together.

George Southwell

October 8, 2024

Bill Smith, affectionally called "WW" by many of his colleagues was my mentor and teacher in the subject of waterflood and produced fluids treatment facility design. He was a joy to work with. He was very detail oriented and took the time to discuss those details to me when I was a young guy working for Marathon in the Yates Group in Midland. When arrived in Midland to take the transfer there I was assigned the job of picking him up at the airport in Midland. We hit it off right away and Linda and I became good friends with him and Eleanor. After we were transferred to Denver, Bill and Eleanor came to Colorado every winter so Bill could ski at Keystone. My boys and I made many day trips to ski with him. His favorite run at Keystone was "Spring Dipper" and the boys and I would follow him down that run and were amused how Bill skied the run exactly the same way each time down. We always had fun with him and I'll always remember him. He was one of the good guys....

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