Vernon Duane Smith passed away Sunday, November 4, 2018 at his home in Fairview, Texas after a long illness with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. He was 85 and 11 months. Vernon was born December 4, 1932 to Glen and Anna Berniece (Corbin) Smith near Carthage, South Dakota. He was raised on a farm and went to a Country School. Vernon went to Carthage High School where he graduated in 1951 and joined the United States Navy where he served from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War. After Vernon was discharged from the Navy, he went to South Dakota State where he graduated in 1959. In 1955 he met his wife, Mary Wilson Smith and they were married June 7, 1956. They had four children, Debra, Craig, Robert and Michael. Vernon was a Federal Investigator for Office of Personnel Management (the Old US Civil Service Commission) until he retired in 1988. The family lived in several different states because of his work but were in California the longest; first in Los Angeles and then to San Diego where they were for 26 years. Vernon, Mary and the family made lots of trips back to South Dakota to visit parents. The family liked going to the farm to visit. In later years, Vernon and his wife did lots of traveling together. They were in every state of the US except Alaska and traveled abroad as well. Vernon was a great husband, father and Poppa. He loved his family very much and was proud of them all. He was a man of integrity, honesty and always thought things out before he acted. His famous saying was, “I need to sleep on that one”. Vernon loved to read and take walks. He read until he was stricken with Alzheimer’s. He loved for Mary to play the piano for him as he loved music.
Vernon leaves to mourn his wife Mary of 62 1/2 years; daughter, Debra Oman and husband Steve of Allen, Texas; sons, Craig Smith and wife, Tracy of Chula Vista, California, Robert Smith and wife, Carolina of Arvada, Colorado and Michael Smith of San Diego, California; fourteen grandchildren, Michelle Clem, Jennifer Zuniga and husband, Tony, Shauna Robertson and husband, Cody, Corey Smith, and wife, Jennifer, Jamie Kennemer and husband, Matt, Kati Smith, Shaun Smith and wife, Ashley, Kevin Smith, Tyler Smith and wife, Christa, Dylan Smith, Travis Smith, Garret Smith, and twins, Ryan and Kyle Smith; ten great-grandchildren, Ashley Clem, Reagan Clem, Anthony Zuniga, Lily Zuniga, Zoey Zuniga, Tylee Smith, Gabrielle Smith, Kennen Robertson, Matthew Kennemer and Chance Smith; brother, Jerry Smith and wife, Paula of Warner Robins, Georgia and sister, Glenda Balthrusch and husband, Gary of Shreveport, Louisiana; and a host of other family members and dear friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Glen and Berniece Smith; brothers, Darrell and Danny; and sister, Anna Marie.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, November 9, 2018 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Allen, Texas. Interment is to follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.