Ronald "Ron" Dale Smith II's Obituary
Ron was a resident of Sachse for over 23 years, a native Texan, born ‘n bred in Dallas; weaned from an oilrig, made double negatives sound grammatically correct, had a love/hate relationship with the Cowboys, and really hated Obama. Sadly, he was found dead on September 25, 2015 He was a modern-day Renaissance man. His talents and skills were diverse and numerous; carpentry, wiring, plumbing, welding, car mechanic, tax-specialist, amateur pilot, computer tech, hunter, firearms aficionado, just to name a few. He was vice-president of finance for Long Branch Exploration, an independent oil & gas operator, but most people didn’t know that about Ron. He didn’t define himself by his job or the title it came with, he worked so he could play. Play requires toys, toys cost money, and the man loved to play and have lots of toys, therefore he worked. The one thing that Ron would say defined him would be hunting and being a hunter. The seasons on his calendar changed from spring, winter, summer, and fall to dove, deer, general, and preparing for next season. Hunting led to his fascination with all firearms. His knowledge of weaponry even intimated the self-proclaim experts. The proficiency and consistency he had with any gun he picked up was so awe-inspiring, his friends nicknamed him Sniper, simply because he never missed. Yet, we will miss him. Ron was a private man, but there were three individuals he truly trusted, relied on, and he knew they always had his back. When they were around, he could kick back, relax, and completely be himself. He felt very fortunate to have them in his life and to call each of them, his best friend. Ron’s friendship with Bob Cox spanned over 25 years. Hunting was their passion, but they were friends year round and beyond the boundaries of any deer lease. It was just fun to be around these two big kids when they were enjoying life. Ron truly treasured his friendship with Bob and his family. Debra was the love of his life, his best friend, and his bride of 12 years. They grew stronger as a couple with every new challenge life threw at them. He was her hopeless romantic, a gentleman, and the one who protected her. She never doubted how deeply and passionately he loved her and their time together was much too short. Then there’s Hunter, his goofy 10-year-old german shepherd. Ron’s heart melted the moment he saw that big pawed puppy bound toward him and the bond between them was instant. Every afternoon, his dog stopped whatever he was doing to go lie down in the spot where he could watch the door and wait for Ron. Hunter never rushed to greet him, instead he rolled onto his back, and waited for Ron to walk over and scratch his belly. It never failed to put a big ol’ smile on Ron’s face. Hunter still waits, every and sometimes, a few hours before dawn, he leaves the bedroom to go to his spot, lies down and watches, waiting patiently for his best friend to walk through that door and scratch his belly one more time. He also leaves behind his daughter Jessica, adopted daughter Sharon, 2 stepdaughters Jordie and Colby, 3 grandchildren, his parents Ron and Ouida. He was the oldest of 5 children; his siblings, Shannon, Todd, and Sutton, along with 8 nephews and nieces survive him. Only his youngest brother Gill precedes him in death. Sadly, we now realize Ron had been struggling with very dark issues. But don’t allow this to mar his memory. The truth is, those closest to him never saw it coming, a switched flip, and it never flipped back. He will be forever dearly missed and our world will be poorer for his loss. The memorial service will be held at Restland Memorial Chapel, 13005 Greenville Ave, Dallas, Texas Friday, November 6th at 11:00 am, appropriately, the day before the opening of deer season.
What’s your fondest memory of Ronald?
What’s a lesson you learned from Ronald?
Share a story where Ronald's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Ronald you’ll never forget.
How did Ronald make you smile?

