C R "Bobby" Smith

C R Bobby Smith called his last strike at 12:10 pm on January 2, 2024. A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 11:05 am at Waco Memorial Funeral Home.

Bobby was born December 3, 1956, in Austin, Texas at Bergstrom Air Force Base to Charles V. Smith and Jane Whitmore Smith. His love for sports, especially baseball, was evident from an early age as he played Little League baseball and continued through high school and college. Bobby graduated from Midway High School in 1975 where he excelled in sports. He attended Abilene Christian College on a football scholarship. He was mentored by numerous coaches throughout school, all of which he had the utmost respect for. However, Coach Ken Beverly, his baseball coach at Midway, held a special place in his heart. Coach Beverly treated him as family and Bobby was close to Keith and Barry until his death.

Bobby drove a truck for several years following college and loved traveling all over the country.

Bobby’s love for baseball led him to become a baseball umpire. He began umpiring little league and continued climbing the ladder to become an NCAA Division 1 umpire. After he was no longer able to umpire on the field due to his health, he was an umpire evaluator until COVID caused the elimination of that position.

Bobby loved people and he loved life, living it big! He and his wife were able to travel extensively. One highlight was going to Cooperstown, NY to the Baseball Hall of Fame…a dream fulfilled from his bucket list. He traveled to all his daughter’s softball games to watch her play for UT Tyler where she continues to excel as a centerfielder, earning numerous honors including being named a 1^st team All-American for 3 consecutive seasons.

Bobby was a dyed-in-the-wool country music fan which allowed him to meet many great country music artists. Bobby Dean and Timeless Country Band were his favorites in the Waco area. He became close friends with each of the band members and considered each one of them his extended family. Dean, Cyndie and Sherry Pankonien became part of his family, sharing many great times with them.

Bobby’s personality was like none other, and his wit was unmatched. He strived to be the life of the party and never met a stranger. He so enjoyed entertaining and having friends come to his home to visit and play dominoes. His contagious smile will most definitely be missed by many.

Bobby was preceded in death by his parents; grandparents; a grandchild; and his favorite uncle, Kermit Weber.

He is survived by his wife, Pamela Hanna Smith of Lorena; children, Bobby Paul Smith of Waco, Jordyn Taylor Smith of Tyler; grandchildren, Levi, Montana, and Christian; 1 great grandchild; sisters, Sandra Grimes of Palestine, Cathy Mikolajchak of Houston, Karen Haug of Austin, and Cindy Booker of Waco; brother, Edward Smith of Oglesby; favorite aunt, Wanda Weber of Bedias; his beloved Boston Terriers, Rosy and Dandelion, who were his constant companions. He is also survived by numerous cousins, including Clayton Smith, who he stayed close to through the years, and a host of nieces and nephews. Bobby always said his nephew Johnny Haug was his hero, as Johnny joined the Army to fight for our freedom and continues to serve today.