A graveside service with full military honors for SFC (Ret.) Thomas F. Smith will be on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 10:00 a.m., at Fort Sill National Cemetery, Elgin, Oklahoma, with a U.S. Army Chaplain officiating.

Burial will be under the direction of Becker-Rabon Funeral Home.

Thomas was born on September 6, 1944, in Many, Louisiana, to Roscoe Smith and Elzie E. Hubbard (Wiley). He passed away on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in Lawton, Oklahoma, at 79.

Thomas enlisted in the United States Army in 1963 and proudly served for twenty-three years. He spent time in Berlin, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam during his service. In November 1965, he married the love of his life, Glenda Mae Smith (Watts). During their fifty-eight years of marriage, Thomas and Glenda were blessed with a son, T.W., a daughter, Terri, and two grandchildren.

Thomas enjoyed a rousing game of golf with his buddies, who referred to him as Zorro because he was so quick with the club. Saying that he loved sports would be an understatement, as he was known to have the sports station playing twenty-four hours a day. Thomas was always ready to cheer on his favorite teams, OU, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Texas Rangers. However, sports was not his only hobby; he was also an avid coin collector.

Thomas is survived by his wife of the home; his daughter, Terri E. Roach, and her husband, Royce; his grandchildren, Sommer Roach and Anslie Roach; and his special friends, Tom Rankin and Flora Payton.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, T.W. Smith; brother, Eldon Smith, and two sisters, Glenda Bland and Irene Fulton.

The family is forever grateful for the impeccable care Thomas received from Centric Home Health Care, Visiting Angels, and the local VA Care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you plant a tree in honor of all the veterans who have served our country.