WAYNE SMITH

1922 - 2017

March 15, 1922 - April 17, 2017 HINTON Wayne D. Smith was born on the family farm near Sickles, OK on March 15, 1922 and entered into rest on April 17, 2017 in Oklahoma City at the age of 95. He attended the Prairie View School and graduated from Sickles High School in 1939. He was active in 4-H, grafted a tree to produce five varieties of apples, and won the Blue Ribbon for his cotton exhibit at the Chicago International. Following graduation, Wayne worked on the farm for a year, then moved to Oklahoma City and worked in the sheet metal shop repairing aircraft at Will Rogers Field. In 1943 he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a pilot for the B-24 Bomber. He flew missions from Italy to Ploesti, Bucharest, Vienna, and in support of Allied ground forces in northern Italy. He landed a disabled plane on the Isle of Vis and is believed to be the only pilot to fly a four engine plane off the Isle of Vis during the war. Wayne married Edna Inez Nowka on March 15, 1944. They returned to Hinton after the war, started their family, and farmed west of town. Wayne was recalled to active duty during the Korean Conflict and was stationed at Brookley Field near Mobile, AL. He flew C-47 air ambulances and was also the check pilot for that unit. They returned to the farm northeast of Hinton, where he lived until his death in the house he had built. He and Inez enjoyed 52 years together until her death in 1996. On February 14, 1998, Wayne married Margie Mae Haas Spear. They resided on the home farm northeast of Hinton. He loved farming and was a good steward of the land. He put in his last crop when he was 91 years old. Wayne and Margie were together for 19 happy years and enjoyed family, travel, rook, rummy, and many other activities together. Wayne loved children and was a loving and devoted father who enjoyed playing with his sons. On snowy days he would build sleds and gather neighborhood children together for the fun. He doted on his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, increasingly enjoying the company of little ones as he got older. He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Hinton serving in many positions and teaching Sunday School for over 40 years. He joined the American Legion soon after the war and was the post Chaplain for many years. He served his community in many ways including the School Board 14 years, the Farmer's Cooperative Board, as a Director of Legacy Bank, and in the Chamber of Commerce. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Inez; his parents, Horace and Lucy Smith; two sisters, Opal Garrett and Theo Lewis; and seven brothers, Troy, Howard, Marshall, Preston, Glenn, Scott, and Delbert Smith. He is survived by his wife, Margie of the home; two sons, Milton Dale Smith and his wife Colleen of Oklahoma City and Randall Dean Smith of Hydro; four grandchildren, Laura Rose and her husband Jordan of Tucker, GA, Lynnae Dougherty and her husband Peter of Hinton, CPT Paul Smith of Moore, and Michael Wayne Smith of Edmond; and two great grandchildren, Ryan Smith Rose and Nash Dougherty. He is also survived by three step-sons and their families: Andy Spear and his wife Sylvia of Altus, Nick Spear and his wife Sherry of Norman, and Tommy Spear and his wife Jane of Sedona, AZ. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Hinton or the charity of your choice. Services First United Methodist Church, Thursday, 1:00 PM, April 20, 2017, Hinton, OK officiating Rev. Gary Haynes Burial Hinton Cemetery, Hinton, OK. Services entrusted to Turner Funeral Home, Hinton, Oklahoma. Condolences may be sent to the family at turnerfuneralhomes@gmail.com, turnerfh.net, or you can find us on facebook.com (Turner Funeral Homes).