Ben Smith

Longtime Sheridan resident Benjamin Orville Smith passed away peacefully at his home, shared with his daughter and devoted caretaker Kimie Edison early Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.

Ben is survived by daughter Kimie (John) Edison and well-loved dogs Peanut, Sebastyn, Tom Brady "Toby" and Wasabi. He is also survived by daughter Cindy (Wayne) Yuen of Emmett, ID; son Marty (Pam) Smith of Blanco, TX; daughter Shannon (Andrew) Stilwell of Cypress, TX; daughter Aimie (Jason) Jones of East Bernard, TX and daughter-in-law Cyndi Schulte Smith of Hallettsville, TX. Ben had 10 grandchildren: Alex Yuen, Ty (Rose) Yuen, Russell (Josie) Smith, Jr., Kassandra Smith, James Smith, Finley Stilwell, Kieran Stilwell, Jade Jones, Scarlet Jones and Micah Edison. Ben also had seven great-grandchildren.

Ben was preceded in death by his parents J. Orville Smith and Minnie McKey Smith Spittler; wife of 50 years Susie Zimmermann Smith; son Rusty Smith; sister Marie Petrich; brother Tommy Smith; brother-in-law Billy Petrich; niece Michele Smith Woyton; and nephews Mike and Paul Petrich. He was also predeceased by many loving dogs over the years. Ben retired from a long career working at the Mobile (later renamed Duke) Plant near Sheridan.

His daughter Cindy had this to say…

Saying that Ben liked automobiles is just not true. He loved them! He could make a car or truck do things that no one else could; except for maybe his son Rusty. But Ben was the one Rusty learned from. When he was young, Ben loved driving them as fast as possible, anywhere he could get away with it… country roads, dirt tracks, amateur races, you name it, he would try it. And if he sometimes blew them up, he could make them run again, faster and with more power. He and his cousin Wesley Smith competed on the circuits around the area back in the 60s. Once they even got their wives at that time (Millie and Pat) involved in the Powder Puff races for women! There was once a pretty big collection of racing trophies lining the shelves!

Now Ben knew that once you finished a race, you had to eat a good, delicious and filling meal. So, he became the barbecue king for miles around and had the most amazing and impressive custom-built mobile pit! It was a masterpiece that he was proud to show off to all his family and friends. He had to have something that would be able to cook the best barbecued chicken, ribs, beef steaks and venison in the entire county! And, if you didn't get corn on the cob and green beans with bacon, along with fresh baked biscuits, watermelon and his favorite dessert, pecan brownies, then it wasn't his best meal!

Ben was a country boy all his life. He grew up in the woods of Sublime and Vienna TX and he knew how to hunt, fish and charm the gals of all ages. He loved his pups probably as much as his cars and his kids! It's why all of us grew up loving our fur babies so much… from Dad's example. In his younger years, he wore his boots and cowboy hat with a gleam in his blue eyes and a contagious laugh that spread the fun around to everyone. He liked listening to country music… the oldies like Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Buck Owens, George Jones and Charlie Pride. Ben could dance the smoothest Texas two-step that made you feel like you were gliding across the dance floor at places like the American Legion Hall and the KC Hall in Hallettsville. If he wasn't racing, mechanicing, cooking, spoiling a dog or dancing, he might have been playing 42 with his brother Tommy and his parents (legendary domino players) or teaching it to his kids.

His three youngest girls Shannon, Aimie and Kimie (with wife Susie), have many memories growing up with their dad. They remember early morning wakeups to bright lights, riled up dogs lovingly tossed into bed with them and him changing their 80s music to a George Jones cassette as their living "alarm". He may have not always been good with telling us kids in words how much he loved us, but he showed us in little acts of love like saving burnt brisket ends for his daughter Aimie because he knew she loved them (at his many BBQ cook offs he would drag her to). He would also divide up his pocket change each night on his dresser evenly for them to have for vending machine money at school.

The best way they can describe their dad is in the words of Holly Dunn's "Daddy's Hands":

Lyrics:

I remember daddy's hands folded silently in prayer

And reachin' out to hold me, when I had a nightmare

You could read quite a story in the callous' and lines

Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

I remember daddy's hands how they held my mama tight

And patted my back for something done right

There are things that I'd forgotten that I loved about the man

But I'll always remember the love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle, but I've come to understand

There was always love in daddy's hands

I remember daddy's hands workin' 'til they bled

Sacrificed unselfishly just to keep us all fed

If I could do things over, I'd live my life again

And never take for granted the love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle, but I've come to understand

There was always love in daddy's hands

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'

Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong

Daddy's hands weren't always gentle, but I've come to understand

There was always love in daddy's hands

Ben was the last surviving member of his siblings and in-laws and the father of six children from his second and third families. We've all inherited the sometimes adorable, sometimes embarrassing "Smith chin" from Dad. Some of us got his laugh, his strength, his giggly sense of humor, his amazing skills at cooking, his honest love of animals (including baby ducks!), his good looks, his dancing feet and maybe his awesome driving ability. He may not always have communicated the best and he may have become a real homebody in his later years, but Ben managed to make us all proud Smiths. He shared his one-of-a-kind, unforgettable personality with a world that will be less now that he's left us. Bye, Dad. You were loved and will be missed. Always.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Sheridan Community Center, 5803 S Logan Park Dr, Sheridan, TX 77475. It will begin at 12:30 PM and a light meal will be served. This is in lieu of a formal funeral, and we invite family and friends to attend. We will share stories and hang out family reunion style, like he enjoyed.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Koenig-Belvill Funeral Home & Cremations, 208 W. Pearl St., La Grange, Texas. Family and friends can view and sign the guestbook online at www.lagrangefunerals.com .