Mark Lawson Smith's Obituary
Mark L. Smith, lifelong Dallasite, passed away on January 13, 2026.
Mark was born February 2, 1953, to Andrew L. and Coralie C. Smith. He attended St. Mark’s Preparatory Academy, Christ the King Parochial School, Preston Hollow Elementary School, Franklin Junior High, graduated from Hillcrest High School in 1971, and went on to graduate from Southern Methodist University.
Following graduation, Mark entered the family business, Smith Protective Services. As part of his introduction to the business, he attended Texas A&M Polygraph Examiner School and became a licensed Polygraph Examiner. In subsequent years, he went on to serve as president from 1984 until his retirement in 2015. Mark’s contributions to the company were integral in distinguishing Smith Protective Services’ historic standing as today’s oldest and largest family-owned and operated security company in the United States.
In January 2008, Mark was appointed by then Governor Rick Perry to serve on The Texas Board of Private Security, which is the state oversight and regulatory board that oversees and regulates the security industry, where he served as Board Officer and Chair of numerous board advisory committees.
Mark was active in business organizations such as Associated Security Services and Investigators of the State of Texas (ASSIST), where he was a Life Member and served in many executive and advisory capacities. He was also a founding member of Law Enforcement and Private Security (L.E.A.P.S), an organization formed to foster cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private security companies with the objective of protecting the citizenry. In 2010 he was honored by L.E.A.P.S. with a Lifetime Membership.
Mark will be remembered by his colleagues for his ability to bring disparate personalities with competing interests together for a common purpose. Throughout the industry, he will be remembered for representing the interests of business owners through the articles he regularly wrote for Managing Security Today, ASSIST’s nationally distributed magazine.
In addition to his long and influential career in the family business, Mark had many talents and interests. During high school, he played drums and later switched to guitar, performing in several bands, including “The Kicks.” In his later adult years, Mark revived his interest in music, recording several original songs with his longtime friend, David Greenberg, and enjoyed performing with their band “SmittyBerg.” Together with his lifelong interest in music, Mark enjoyed travelling. He explored destinations from the Colorado Rockies to the California Wine Country, from Canada to France and Italy. He was also an accomplished scuba diver and enjoyed golf.
But above all, Mark will be remembered as a family man. He loved taking road trips with his family, especially to the Southwest. He took his wife, Janice, and two sons, Alex and Elliott, on an unforgettable boating trip through the Virgin Islands with longtime family friends. He traveled with Alex and Elliott on a father and sons scuba trip. In celebration of his 30th wedding anniversary, he brought his immediate and extended family on a memorable trip to Cancun. His greatest enjoyment was vacationing with Janice every year in St. Martin.
Mark is preceded in death by parents Andrew and Coralie, and brother Clayton Smith.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Janice Myer Smith, his two sons, Alex (Karen), Elliott (Chandler), grandson Gabriel Henry, brother Andrew Smith, sister-in-law Jeanie Beaulieu (Bob), brother-in-law James Myer (Sandy), and numerous nieces and nephews, among them Aaron Smith, (Chiyang), and their son Adam.
A memorial will be held on Thursday, January 29, 10:30 am, at Restland in Dallas.
Honoring Mark’s wish, the family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to the ASSIST Fallen Officer Fund, which provides support to security officers killed or injured in the line of duty. Donations can be made at https://assisttexas.com/fallen-officer-fund/
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