Randy Smith

To have never met Randy Smith was to have walked through a library and passed by a great American novel, its cover modest and worn, its quiet dignity easy to overlook. Those who paused to open its pages discovered stories rich with wisdom, kindness, and quiet strength. Randy lived a life not of chance or ease, but one carefully written through perseverance, integrity, and love.

Randy K. Smith was born on May 30, 1952, to Wilbert and Janet Davis Smith. He grew up in Medill, Missouri, where he helped on the family farm and graduated from Clark County High School in 1970. On January 17, 1976, he married the love of his life, Karen Cannon, in Anson, Missouri. Together they built a life filled with laughter, warmth, and devotion. Randy was devoted to Karen, and loved her with a tenderness and loyalty that inspired everyone who knew them. He was a man of enduring character, strong yet gentle, principled yet patient. His stubbornness was simply loyalty in its most honest form: a determination to live life on his own terms and to care deeply for those he loved.

He loved music, the outdoors, and every animal that crossed his path. Randy’s hands were always busy, working, building, helping, but the most important things he ever built were not with tools, but with his heart. With Karen, he raised two daughters, Kelsey and Lindsey, and filled their home with humor, lessons, and unconditional affection. His presence was quiet but never small; his words were sensible and honest but never unkind. He was the one you could count on for a rescue on the side of the road, a steady hand in hard times, or shared pizza on a Friday night.

After losing Karen, Randy found comfort in the companionship of his loyal dog Ozzie and his cat Lucy 2. Together they shared simple joys; baking cookies, watching birds, and enjoying late-night documentaries. Even in solitude, his gentle spirit and good humor continued to shine through, touching the lives of those around him.

Randy passed away on October 16, 2025, in St. Louis, Missouri after a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilbert and Janet Davis Smith, and by his beloved wife, Karen Cannon Smith, his in-laws Kenneth and Ella Mae Cannon, and brother-in-law Mark Cannon. He is survived by his daughters Kelsey (Daniel) Schmidt and Lindsey (Tyler Roach) Smith; grandchildren Aiden Lesinski and Jakub Schmidt; siblings Alan (Debbie) Smith, Connie Smith Gutting, and Roger (Brenda) Smith; sister-in-law Brenda (Roy) Brown; brother-in-law Kirby (Lisa) Cannon; and many nieces and nephews who will carry his memory forward.

The epilogue of Randy’s story is this: We will miss him deeply. We are grateful to have known such a person to miss. He has now been reunited with Karen, and all is right in their world once more. Ours is a little dimmer without him, yet forever lit by the lessons of his humor, his goodness, and his quiet strength.

According to his wishes, cremation rites have been accorded. Private Graveside service will be held at Sand Cemetery with Pastor Shawn McAfee officiating. Memorials contributions in memory of Randy can be made to the Sand Cemetery or H.E. Sever Library. They can be left or mailed to Wilson & Triplett Funeral Home, 975 East Main St, Kahoka, MO 63445. You are invited to share your memories of Randy and leave a condolence at www.wilsontriplett.com