Mouldon B. (M.B.) Smith's Obituary
Mouldon B. Smith, formerly a resident of San Juan, died very peacefully on December 27, 2018. He was 97 years old.Many Valley residents will remember Dr. Smith, who was an orthodontist on South Main Street in McAllen for over 40 years. M.B, as he was usually called, was born in Ardmore, Tennessee, on Feb. 9, 1921 to Dr. Mouldon and Ida Leslie Smith. He liked to tell how he was “born dead,” and in desperation the midwife rolled him on the cold floor which revived him. When he was about 10, the family moved to Mission, Texas, where his father practiced medicine in the same office in which M.B and his brother Lloyd, also a physician, would eventually practice. After graduation from Mission High School, M.B. attended Baylor University for his undergraduate degree and then Baylor Dental School where he obtained his D.D.S. Degree. Shortly afterwards, he met and Lydia Antoinette Wagner of Dallas. They married in 1945 and lived in Wichita Falls until he completed his Orthodontic preceptorship. They then moved to San Juan where they lived in a rambling home on an acre and a half filled with citrus and avocado trees. There they raised their five children before moving to Canyon Lake in 1991. They were members of the San Juan People’s Church. Dr. Smith was a member of the Texas Dental Association, the American Association of Orthodontists, and the American Dental Association for over 40 years.M.B. served as an Air Force Captain between 1953-1955, spending 18 months of that period in Okinawa.M.B. had many varied interests, one of which was raising prize roosters. He was also fond of boating, and on the rare occasion that the boat motor actually worked, he enjoyed pulling his children around the lake on water skis. He always bought his wife Lydia a beautiful car, but preferred driving himself to work in a rusty Volkswagen, or an old Jeep which had a piece of rope holding the door closed. He loved barbecuing meat drenched in lime juice and salt, which he rolled up into a tortilla—a forerunner of the fajita long before anyone heard of such a thing. He was quite interested in alternative forms of medicine as he grew older, and tried to convince everyone who would listen of their benefits. The “Pulser,” a personal electromagnetic device, was always close at hand for anything that ailed a person, and he took massive numbers of supplements from the Life Extension company, which obviously, did what they promised. At one point, he was a firm believer in the health benefits of sardines, and once approached a very old, thin woman in the grocery store and asked her if she might want to try some sardines. She turned abruptly away and headed down another aisle.M.B. loved helping people and never passed up an opportunity. He gave away much of his orthodontic work to those who could not afford it. He had a great heart, and will long be remembered as a generous giver. His faith in his Lord Jesus Christ became the most important thing in his life and he shared that with many, as well. Texas has lost a great and colorful man, who was loved by all his family.M. B. is survived by his wife of 73 years, Lydia, his daughters Lisa Wallace of Tyler, Janie Peterson (Steve) of Denver, and Rosanne Spangler(Sonny) of Llano, and his sons Brian of Blanco and Steve (Inese) of Austin. He is also survived by nine grandchildren: Rich Wallace (Beth), Dallas; Brian Wallace (Robyn), Quito, Ecuador; Jenny Wallace Dallas; Meggan Peterson Winegar (Taylor), Parker, Colorado; Jordan Smith, Ft. Worth; Kendyl Smith Howard (Adam), Houston; Nicholas, Kevin, and Victoria Smith, Austin.A graveside service will be held at Restland Cemetery in Dallas, on January 4 at 2:00 PM.
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