Donald Wilmoth Smith

1922 - 2016

August 14, 1922 - October 7, 2016
He was our East, our West, our North, and our South. When we lost our directions, our compasses led back to him. What he believed and expected, and how he lived were the constants in our lives. He told us to remember who we are and remember where we came from. In our heads we knew someday he would be gone, but our hearts believed he would live forever. And now, we are on our own, the compass hands' spinning in our hearts. Donald Wilmoth Smith, a fifth generation Texan, was born on August 14, 1922 to Van Calvin Smith and Ivah Harvick Smith. He attended Rice University for two years and then enlisted in the United States Marines. Trained as a pilot, Donald W. Smith was assigned to the Pacific front and served at Guadalcanal and in the Solomon Islands Campaign. Following World War II, Donald returned to The University of Texas in Austin and met Sophie Katherine Hodges. On April 25, 1950, Don and Sophie Katherine "Katie" Hodges were married in Austin. They were married three months when the Korean War began. Putting his life on the line through two wars, Donald Wilmoth Smith is one of the "Greatest Generation" and shall be missed greatly by all that knew him. Donald Wilmoth Smith worked for H.B. Zachary Construction Company and traveled to the Pacific Rim, Central and South America, Africa, and the Middle East building roads over mountains and through jungles, erecting dams on rivers, building oil refineries in deserts. He told stories of meeting with warlords in Malawi, eating dinner with sheiks in Saudi Arabia, and once believing he was being kidnapped doing "tuck, drop, and roll out of a taxi." Donald W. Smith was a devoted husband and father. His five children were Donna Kay (1952-2016), Nona Jo, Liz Anne, Kern and Suzette. He was married to Katie for 47 years. Katie died unexpectedly August 7, 1997 and Donald missed her until his last day. Don and Katie are now dancing to Moon River in Heaven. Until 2013, Donald lived in the house in Castle Hills he designed and built in 1958. Donald W. Smith was a grandfather to seven grandchildren. Donald was an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Castle Hills. He was also an Aggie's worst nightmare. The family would like to express heartfelt thanks for all the people who walked with him in these final years. From neighborhood friends who kept a watchful eye on him, to his church family at Covenant Presbyterian, to the patient ladies at Arden Court Memory Care, and finally to the compassionate workers at Eagle Trace in Houston, he could not have made it to 94 years of age without each of you.

Services
Funeral arrangements are by Mission Park Funeral Home. Burial with military honors will be Monday, October 24 at 2:00 pm at Mission Burial Park North Cemetery at 20900 IH 10 West with a memorial service at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 211 Roleto Drive at 3:00 pm. Friends are invited to read the online obituary and sign the guestbook at www.missionparks.com.