Darrell Smith

Darrell Roy Smith, son of the late Roy and Audrey (Gasperson) Smith, was born March 16, 1956, in Cabool, Missouri. Darrell departed this life July 31, 2025, in Republic, Missouri, with his children by his side. He was 69 years and 4 months of age.

He spent the first five years of his life in California when his parents moved from Vanzant, Missouri. Darrell was just one week old. The rest of his childhood was spent growing up in Vanzant, attending 1st-6th grade at Clifty Hall, the one-room schoolhouse in Vanzant. He then attended Mountain Grove High School for 7th-12th grade. Growing up on the family farm in Vanzant, and learning about farming and working with his dad and brother in the family logging business was an important part of his early life. In his younger years, he enjoyed driving and working on his Plymouth Duster and Camaro.

Darrell went on to attend Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, and majored in Construction Management. In 1977, he became a Realtor and was also the youngest Real Estate Broker at the time, in the Greater Springfield Board of Realtors, at the age of 21. Darrell became passionate about Real Estate and was known as a local expert in Southwest Missouri for farm and residential sales. He worked for Gravens Realty, Gasperson Realty, and later opened his own brokerage in 1980.

Darrell accepted Jesus as his Savior and was baptized at Cornerstone Free Will Baptist Church in 1982. He married LaVonna Shaw on June 18, 1982, in Mountain Grove, Missouri. Two children, Jennifer and Thomas, were born to this union. They built a wonderful life together and raised their family to work hard, have fun and most important, to love Jesus.

Darrell built and was co-owner of Farmers Ag Center in Mountain Grove, Missouri, starting in 1979. He owned and operated Smith Seed Services and spent every summer from 1978 to 2025 custom combining fescue seed across Missouri and Northern Arkansas. Nothing made him happier than the two weeks in June that he was able to cut seed. He enjoyed farming and raising beef cattle until his last day. He and LaVonna also built and were the owners of Palm Village Apartment Homes in Springfield, Missouri.

He enjoyed attending equipment auctions and every gun show he could find. He also loved family vacations to the beach, pheasant hunting trips with friends and family to South Dakota, and his morning cup of black coffee.

He was a wonderful and loving father and Poppy to his grandchildren, and was always supporting them in all their endeavors. Spending time with his family was always so important to him.

He was a member at Willow Springs Free Will Baptist Church and loved his church family very much. In his later years, he was more vocal with his faith. After getting diagnosed with colorectal cancer, he made it his mission to never give up and to give the Lord all the glory. You could find him each morning visiting with someone at breakfast about the love of Jesus or about the local gun show coming up.

Darrell was preceded in death by his loving wife, LaVonna Smith, and his parents, Roy and Audrey Smith.

He is survived by one daughter, Jennifer Riddle and husband, Jay, one son, Thomas Smith and wife, Cheyanne, eight grandchildren, Brayden, Cora, Hadley, Parker, Claire, Bristyn, Cole, and Stetson, one brother, Rob Smith and wife, Tracy, and many other brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Memorial contributions may be made to L.E.A.H. (Lending Every Amputee Hope) Foundation by following the link or to Willow Springs Free Will Baptist Church Youth Fund in care of the funeral home.