George Myron Smith

Funeral services for George Myron Smith Sr. will be at 2:00 pm Thursday March 20, 2025, in the Craddock Memorial Chapel with Pastor Terry Tolbert officiating. Burial will follow at Seaman First Class Billy Turner Veterans Cemetery at 10:00 am Friday, March 21, 2025, with Ray Sharp, Bryson Sharp, Chelsea Jobe, Jake Smith, Chafferty Smith, and Eddie Teague serving as pallbearers. Cainan Smith will be an honorary pallbearer.
George was born Monday October 19, 1925, in Alton, Illinois to Myron and Ester (Peterson) Smith and died Friday March 14, 2025, in Ardmore, Oklahoma at the age of 99 years, 4 months and 26 days,
With the death of his mother at the age of 2 years old, George was alone with his father, starting on a grand journey. Living in Kemper, Illinois, he saw his first airplane and knew he was going to learn how to fly. Upon graduating in the top half of his class from Alton High School in 1943, he entered the military at the age of 18, becoming a medic and fought during World War II at Guadal Canal. At the age of 22 he married Charlotte Elaine Gallaher on June 30, 1946, at Alton, Illinois. They moved to Waukegan, Illinois and a son George Smith, Jr. was born on December 22, 1947. He worked at Abbott Laboratories and started the Stick and Rudder Club of Waukegan, Illinois, and it is still operating today. He started work on Monday, October 1, 1956, as a professional pilot for the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Charlotte took some college courses while at Urbana. In 1959 when he went to work for Ozark Airlines as a pilot and moved to St. Louis. After two years with Ozark, he was employed by Ft. Sill Army Base in Oklahoma as a pilot instructor. A daughter Janet Smith was born on June 29, 1961, but her father was not present as he had accepted a position with American Flyers Airline flying 4 engine aircraft and at the time was in San Diego, California. Captain Smith was flying a lot of charter flights with very famous people, internationally and domestic on DC-8's. The family moved from Lawton to Ardmore(with the help of a few Ft. Sill instructor pilots.) In 1969 her son George Jr. married. The family then moved to Pennsylvania to work on a dairy farm for 10 years, learning how important life is. They raised cattle and began gardening, which became his favorite hobbies. Selling the farm and returning to Oklahoma in 1979 where they soon enjoyed their 50th wedding anniversary and turning their attention to the grandchildren.
George is preceded in death by his parents; wife of 68 years, Charlotte Elaine Smith on January 14, 2009; sons, George Myron Smith, Jr., James Michael Smith, Kirk Smith; great grandson, Caliber Smith. He is survived by his daughter, Janet Sharp Campell and her husband Randy; grandchildren, Jake Smith, Ray Sharp, Natalie Smith; greatgrandchildren, Chelsea Jobe, Cainan Smith, Bryson Sharp, Ella Smith, Christian Smith, Abigail Smith, and Rylee Smith.