Funeral services for Robert Eugene Smith Jr. of Brookhaven are Friday, July 1, 2016 at 11 a.m. at Friendship Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. Riverwood Family Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Thursday, June 30, 2016, from 5 until 8 p.m. at Riverwood and will resume at the church an hour before services.

Mr. Smith, 84, died Monday, June 27, 2016. He was born Aug. 28, 1931 in Lincoln County to Robert Eugene Smith Sr. and Katie Lou Calcote Smith.

He was a graduate of West Lincoln High School and went on to attend Mississippi State University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. While at Mississippi State he married his wife, Elaine, on Aug. 19, 1951. He was a member of the ROTC and, upon graduation, was called into active duty through the United States Army as a second lieutenant. Mr. Smith began his service at Fort Benning, Georgia, and finished at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, as captain. While in the Army, he earned many marksman medals and was a much respected company commander of the 101^st Airborn Division. When discharged from the Army, he returned to Brookhaven with his family and worked for the United States Department of Agriculture until retiring after 42 years of service.

Mr. Smith was an active member of Friendship Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, discipleship training director and a member of many classes throughout the years. He served with Church Building Ministries Inc., with his wife, Elaine and best friends Rev. Wiley and Mrs. Katie Reid. This allowed them to travel all over the United States.

Gardening was a way of life for him and his wife. They enjoyed sharing their harvests with their family and friends.

Mr. Smith was very proud to be a grandfather. He and his wife loved their grandchildren and great-grandchildren very much.

Preceding him in death was his wife of 64 years, Elaine; parents, Robert Sr. and Katie Smith; sisters, Allene Hunsucker and Janie Pearl Smith; one stillborn son; and a daughter-in-law, Janet Keen Smith.

Survivors are his sons, Robert Wayne Smith and wife, Nancy and Mark Eugene Smith Sr. and wife, Patricia; one daughter, Nancy Elaine Campo and husband, Mark; sister, Katie Ruth Alford and husband, Hollis; 11 grandchildren, Kelly Taylor and husband, David, Mandy Warren and husband, Michael, Elaina Anders and husband, Lane, Katie Jarancik, Ian Smith and wife, Brandi, Mark Smith Jr. and wife, Lennye, Joshua Campo and wife, Fallon, Jacob Campo, Josh Reno and wife, Kayla Beth, Russ McNees and wife, Kate, and Jenny Byars and husband, Dustin, and 21 great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to Friendship Baptist Church Building Fund or Heritage Hills Mission Organization.

If you would like to leave a word of sympathy to the Smith Family, you may do so at www.riverwoodfamily.com.