of Bee Branch, AR

December 3, 1940 - June 11, 2024

In Loving Memory of Roy E. Smith (Dec. 3, 1940 June 11, 2024)
Roy E. Smith (Poppa) of Bee Branch, Arkansas passed on to the next life June 11, 2024.

Roy was born in Rusk, Texas and spent his early years traveling with the family, as his father worked as a pipefitter during WWII in South and East Texas. He completed High School in Sweeny, Texas in 1959, subsequently picking up various skills as a pipeline worker, truck driver, field hand and eventually working as an instrument technician for Dow Chemical in Houston.

In 1965, Roy took a job with the Arkansas Kraft Division of Green Bay Packing, building a papermill in Morrilton, Arkansas, and moved his family to Bee Branch. He would remain with that company for the next 37 years until his retirement in 2002. During his tenure with the papermill, Roy attended numerous technical schools for electrical and analog instrumentation, diagnostics and maintenance, ending his career as one of the premier maintenance and instrument technicians in the company. The mill workers at Kraft had a saying about Roy, after his many years in the maintenance department, ''If you want it done right, call Roy. If you want it done fast, call someone else.''.

Roy married Sandra A. Perry of Old Ocean, Texas, Aug. 24, 1960 and remained by her side until her death in May 2023.

He was preceded in death by his son, Jason A. Smith; brothers, Dale Smith, Randy Smith, Charlie Smith and sister, Joy McKnight.

He is survived by brother, Hal Smith; sisters, Pat Thomas and Jan Florez and five children, Roger E. Smith, John P. Smith, Christopher J. Smith, Terrance D. Smith and Julie A. Tobey. Roy was the patriarch of a large family, with 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. When he did sit down to watch a NASCAR race on TV, he always had a baby on his lap. He was called ''Poppa'' by his kids, grandchildren, great grandchildren and all of the neighbor kids.

Being raised on farms in East Texas, Roy picked up a knack for repair of household and farm equipment. He was known throughout the area as the guy to ask if you needed to know how to fix something. It really didn't matter what it was: washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, pumps, cars, trucks, tractors, farm implements, lawn mowers, chainsaws, roofs, foundations, drywall, trim work, carpet, flooring, electrical, plumbing, anything. Whatever it was, he knew something about how to do it or how to fix it. As one friend of the family once noted, ''We can always ask Roy. If he doesn't know it, it probably doesn't need to be known.''.
Roy's favorite hobby was dirt track racing. He could rebuild a small block Chevy engine with his eyes closed. He was well-known at the dirt tracks in the area as the go-to guy when you had an engine problem. He spent two decades helping young drivers get their cars on the track. He loved watching the races. While he didn't do as much actual wrench turning in his retirement years, he was always happy to advise, observe and tell you how you were doing it wrong.
The most memorable thing about Roy is that he was a good neighbor. Any one of the children will recall hundreds of instances of where he would grab his tool pouch and head to a neighbor's house to fix a washing machine or a water pump. Regardless of someone's status or station, personal circumstances or history, if he could help, he would help.

Services for Roy are being held at the Bee Branch Baptist Church, Bee Branch, Arkansas, June 15, 2024, at 10 a.m..

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