Gene Paul Smith

Gene Smith was born on January 9, 1950, to Ruby Lee Martin Smith and Douglas Smith in Houston, Texas, at St. Joseph's Hospital. He was raised a cotton farmer and ginner's son in Alief, Texas. He graduated from Alief High School (1968), Houston Baptist University B.A. (1972), Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. M. Div. (1979) and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary D. Min (1986). He studied also in Mexico and in England.

During his life he taught school in the Alief and Katy Independent School Districts for more than 20 years. He also pastored churches in Texas, Mississippi, and Florida. His longest and current tenure was in Braeburn Valley Baptist Church in Houston, Texas where he and his wife Jimi, have served for more than 14 years. Under the Lord's leadership he took groups on Evangelistic Mission trips during the 1980'S and 1990'S to Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Jamaica.

When he was a child and during his teen years he was active in his church and in Young Life, a youth evangelistic organization in public schools. He once served on the staff at Frontier Ranch (Young Life) as a wrangler, taking teens on horseback rides over mountain trails. He also participated in sports, mostly basketball, during the same period while in high school and college. Outside of school he was an avid duck hunter and spent many days each year in the freezing cold, hunting ducks and geese with friends.

His greatest achievement, he felt, was raising a Christian family. "Knowing that all our children belong to the Lord is my heart's greatest treasure," he would say. And seeing them active and serving God in church and in their careers as Christians was the satisfaction of his soul. He was very proud of each of them and how meaningful their lives have become.

He is especially thankful that they are all great parents and wonderful witnesses to their children. Gene Paul is survived by his loving wife Jimi and by five children: Stephen and his wife Star, William (Will) and his wife Dani, Stuart and his wife Nicole, Ashley and her husband Peyton, and Brooke and her husband Derek. He is survived also by fifteen grandchildren: Madison, Jackson, Hope and Avonlea, Morgan, Luke, Quincy and Presley, Ruby, Ada, and Beau, Cooper, Anna Leigh and Hadley, and Hallie. Also survived by a nephew, Andy Smith and wife Kim, and two nieces, Joan Ann Statema, and Lauren Santerre Saad, her husband Randy, daughter Vivian.

He felt privileged to have been born in this great state and country but happier still to have been born into God's kingdom at Camp Peniel, Marble Falls, Texas in June of 1960. Pastor Smith's declaration is that: "I am a sinner saved by grace, all else by comparison is dust and ash, I have a future in heaven secure, where I'll see my hero, Jesus, at last!"