Robert Smith

 Robert Randolph Smith, Jr. passed away at his home in Suffolk, VA on June 8, 2024 with his loving wife at his side. He was born January 8, 1947 in Norfolk, VA. He met and married Martha Jane Boswell in 1967 and were happily married over 56 years. Robert served in the US Navy from 1964 until his retirement in 1991 as a Chief Hull Maintenance Technician. He attended MS State University, earning a B.S. in Business in 1972 and a M.Ed. in Vocational Rehabilitation in 1978. He continued to promote lifelong learning in himself and others. He was a talented carpenter and enjoyed riding motorcycles with Martha, collecting and working on automobiles, collecting and playing guitars, and spending time with his family. A man of strong Christian faith, Robert served as an ordained deacon at Great Fork Baptist Church in Suffolk, VA. He was a current member of the First Baptist Church in West Point.

 He is survived by his wife Martha Jane Smith of Suffolk, VA; daughter Shana Lynn and her husband CAPT Jeffry A. Sandin, USN; daughter Celia Lorraine and her husband Brian A. Giovannone; 4 grandchildren: Adam T. Sandin, Tova G. Hargest, Brittany C. Seagraves, Chelsea R. Seagraves; and 3 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and 2 sisters.

Funeral Services will be 3 PM Saturday June 15, 2024 at First Baptist Church with Rev. Dale Funderburg officiating. Interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery with Military honors. Serving as pallbearers will be Brian Giovannone, Hunter Hargest, Jeff Sandin, Jimmy Terry, Marion Johnson, Tommy Henley, and Mike Henson. Visitation with family will be 2-3 PM Saturday at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sally Kate Winters Children’s Home, PO Box 1233 West Point, MS 39773.