Ronald Smith

Ronald Roy “Ron” Smith, Ron was born March 21, 1929 in Clay Center, KS to Roy D. and Daisy (Halverson) Smith. He grew up in Clay Center, graduating from CCCHS in 1947. He was active in drama club participating in the Junior and Senior plays and was a sports manager. He attended The University of Kansas, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1951 and was affiliated with Kappa Sigma Fraternity. His younger cousin, Nancee Burbank, remembered admiring Ron's snazzy argyle socks he wore when he came back from college and thought he was a handsome man that really had it together! Following graduation, Ron enlisted in the US Navy and after basic training attended Storekeeper School and was assigned to Midway Island for duty. He received orders to report to US Navy Officers Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and was commissioned an Ensign in the US Navy Reserve. He was assigned in 1952 to the Boat Division of the USS Merrick AKA 97 in Bremerton, WA. In 1953 he was ordered to report for duty on the USS Sedgwick County in San Francisco, CA as Communications Officer and later Executive Director. In 1954, his ship sailed for the Far East, delivering landing craft and vehicles to Yokosuka, Japan, later participating in amphibious exercises in Japanese and Korean waters. Ron was released from active duty in 1955 and remained a member of the US Navy Reserve until transferring to the Retired Reserve in 1967, with a grade of Lieutenant 0-3. Ron returned to Clay Center and began his career at Peoples National Bank. As Loan Officer, he did everything possible to help people obtain financing so they could achieve their life goals and worked hard to be a good representative of the bank. He enjoyed working with customers and strove to treat people the same whether they were in dusty overalls or a suit and tie. He tended to be a perfectionist with his work and held fast to the belief that a businessman should be presentable while conducting his business, which meant being clean shaven, hair combed, shirt tucked in, shoes polished and wearing a tie. Ron retired in in 1998 as Executive Vice President and Director. He was also a Director for Citizens State Bank of Miltonvale from 1988 to 2012, completing 57 years in banking. He enjoyed attending Bank Conventions and his many banking friends and co-workers he met over the years. Ron recently said the best day of his life was when he saw "his girl" Ruth Ann for the first time while eating lunch at the Cedar Court Restaurant with his mother. He knew immediately she was the one. Their first date was to listen to live jazz music in Topeka. Ron married Ruth Ann Woellhof on July 12, 1959 at the United Methodist Church in Clay Center. They had a loving marriage with many wonderful experiences and memories. They are the parents of two children, Julie Christina and Mark C. Smith. Family was the most important thing to Ron. He and Ruth Ann were blessed to celebrate more than 56 years together. Ruth Ann preceded him in death on March 25, 2016. Music was a big part of Ron's life. He enjoyed most all types of music with jazz being his favorite and would listen for hours to his music collection at a sound level that was like a live concert. As a young child he wanted to play the trombone. After going along with his parents to a Bennie Goodman concert at age 7, he was so impressed by Mr. Goodman's clarinet playing he forgot all about the trombone and decided to play the clarinet and later the alto saxophone instead. Any time he could go hear live jazz music he would go, seeing many small groups and famous big bands. Ron loved swing music and he and Ruth Ann could draw crowds when they danced the jitterbug. Some of Ron's most memorable experiences involved traveling with his best friend and wife, Ruth Ann, and an educational travel group with whom he made long lasting friendships. He traveled to Europe seven times and visited England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. Ron enjoyed planning family vacations to Colorado and loved to go for jeep tours or horseback riding in the mountains. Even though he saw a lot of the world, his favorite area was the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, where he claimed the sunsets were the best. Ron enjoyed playing golf and watching all sporting events, in person or on television. He followed the Kansas City Royals and the Chiefs with his favorite team always being the Kansas Jayhawks. He was known to be a diehard KU fan and would wear his teams colors every game day. He would run outside and "wave the wheat" with his big KU flag after a Kansas win and looked forward every year to cheering the Jayhawks on in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Ron was a lifelong member of the Clay Center United Methodist Church, serving on many committees, as Treasurer and an Administrative Head. He was a member of Rotary, American Legion, Elks Lodge, Masonic Lodge, Clay County Hospital Foundation, Clay Center Improvement Foundation, Kansas University Alumni Association and the Clay Center Country Club. He served on the Clay Center Housing Board for 46 years. Later in life, macular degeneration took most of Ron's eyesight and prevented him from doing things he enjoyed like driving, reading and bookkeeping. For years he took pride in doing the grocery shopping for his mother and mother-in-law when they could no longer go, but found it increasingly difficult to find things. He memorized where everything was and would get along fine until the products were rearranged. It was frustrating for him to not be able to recognize people's faces, therefore not always being able to call people by name. He was an unwavering source of strength for his wife Ruth Ann as she fought breast cancer twice, all while dealing with cancer and other health issues of his own. He kept his faith and showed so much determination in the face of insurmountable odds. Ron passed away August 4, 2016 in Manhattan, KS at the age of 87. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Ann and his parents. He will be greatly missed by his daughter Julie, son Mark, two grandchildren, Christina and Samantha, great granddaughter Ava, and beloved Weimaraner dog, Heidi. Funeral Services: August 11, 2016 at 10:30 at the Clay Center United Methodist Church in Clay Center , KS Minister: Pastor Ryan Lynch Burial: Greenwood Cemetery, Clay Center, Kansas Visitation: Wednesday August 10, 2016 from 3-8 PM at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home Memorials: Clay County Hospital Foundation or Clay Center Zoo c/o the funeral home