Robert Carl Smith

Weslaco/Donna: Robert “Bob” Carl Smith, 76, passed away on Tuesday, December 1st at his home in Weslaco. He was survived by his wife Frances G Smith.
Bob was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana to Robert Cleveland and Ona Lee Smith. He was the fourth born following his sisters Lee (Noel+), Emma Jean+(Lewis)+ and Betty Ann (Art).
As a child he attended church on Sundays down the street. He grew up in Bogalusa where he attended high school and he met his future wife, Frances Janet Miley. He attended LSU, but would soon move to Alabama where he would work and finish his college degree in Chemistry. It was in Mobile, Alabama when they would have their first son, Robert Alan Smith (Karen), in 1961. Two years later, they were blessed with John Cleveland Smith (Diana). They moved to Donna Texas in 1968 where they would settle for most of their lives together. Daryl Leigh (Cindi) was born in 1969. In 1973, the first girl, Frances Carla (Mark McCaleb) would join the family and last by not least, Kara Johanna (Steve Urbina).
Bob would spend his career at the USDA in Weslaco, TX, where he worked as a chemist. He worked there for over 30 years, spending a lot of time working with sugarcane research. He met lifelong friends there and he also took advantage of early retirement.
Dad was very active as a young adult and had many hobbies. He would run many 10K and 5K races. Most evenings he would go to the pool and swim laps, although we all jokingly kidded that he was trying to save money on water. He also rode his bicycle to work, a 12 mile round trip, daily so that the family would have the car and mom could stay home with the kids.
Besides exercising, Bob did have other hobbies, which included daily cross word puzzles and watching football and really any late night television. He loved to spend quiet time at night when everyone else was in bed.
He also loved to go fishing and hunting. Many years the family had deer meat all winter long.
He loved bird watching and could name just about any bird there was, we spent many Saturdays at the Wildlife Refuge.
Many would remember Bob as a Lion, he was active in the Lion’s Club of Donna, serving as President.
Bob was a good provider. His career afforded his wife to stay home. At some point, around 1984, he even took on a night shift at Greg’s Drive In to earn some extra money to support the family.

The most important thing to Bob was religion and he was a religious man, serving as Deacon at the First Baptist Church of Donna for most of his life. He also led music. The family went to church almost every time the doors were open, Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. If our friends spent the night Saturday night, First Baptist Church was required. He taught Sunday School and was very involved in the church. He would read daily devotionals to the kids and Bob, himself, read the entire Bible at least three times.
Bob was blessed with his first grandson, Bryan, in 1991, and granddaughter Brianna that same year; then the twins Daryl Jonathon and Alex Britni in 1992.
In 1995, he would lose his wife of 32 years.
The following year, he would retire and also have two new grandchildren, Nathan and Summer were born.
He met Frances in 1997 as she was working as a nurse at Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco. They would carry on a long courtship.
In the meantime, he would be blessed with nine more grandchildren, Bradley, Savannah, Logan, Noah, Riley, Austin, Patrick, Sierra and Ethan, totaling 15.
Bob would marry Frances Garcia, in 2008 and would spend the rest of his retirement with her. He spent a lot of time with their grandson, Mathew Brooks, and Frances’s kids, Chris, Mary, Martha, George, Edward and Ernest who treated him like their own family. He loved to go out to eat and shopping at Wal-Mart. He never met a stranger and would always have a funny joke to tell. He and Frances’s favorite spots to eat were Denny’s and Golden Corral where he was well known by many employees who will surely miss him.
In 2014, he became a great grandfather, when Aria would arrive.
Frances would care for him the last years of his life as he became ill, she remained by his side until his death.
The family would like to especially thank Knapp Hospice, who were so helpful and caring for him in his last days.
Robert Carl Smith will be forever remembered.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 2nd, from 4-8pm. Graveside service will be held on Thursday at 10am at Sacred Park Cemetery in Mercedes.