COLUMBUS
Born May 14, 1929, in Bargersville, Indiana, Mr. Smith was the son of Leroy and Leora Smith, also of Bargersville, Indiana. Mr. Smith moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, at four years of age and resided there until October 1987, when he moved to Columbus, Indiana.
He graduated from Arsenal Technical High School in 1947, and joined the United States Army that same year. He served in the United States Army from 1947 until 1951, was stationed in various camps in the U.S. and served in Korea and Japan before the Korean War. He reenlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve and was recalled and served until the end of the Korean War.
Mr. Smith spent much of his life in the petroleum industry, having been with Hoosier Petroleum Co. for two years before joining Standard Oil Company in Indiana. He was with Standard Oil for twenty-six years in various capacities to senior sales manager, and for the last ten of those years he was a Standard Oil Agent in Indianapolis. After leaving Standard Oil, Mr. Smith joined Allied Petroleum Equipment Corp of Indianapolis for fifteen years and was Vice President in charge of sales when he retired in 1993.
Mr. Smith was very active in several clubs and organizations in Indianapolis and Columbus. He was a 50-year member of the Masonic Lodge Centre #23 and 35-year member of Scottish Rite Valley of Indianapolis, Murat Shrine and the Gatling Gun Club. He was active in the Junior Achievement program in Indianapolis while with Standard Oil. He was a member of and served on the Board of Directors for National Oil Fuel Institute of Indiana and on the Board of Directors of the Indianapolis Petroleum Club, of which he is a lifetime member. He was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Club, of which is a lifetime member. He was a member of The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks #521 in Columbus and The Kiwanis Evening Club of Columbus, having served as its treasurer for several years. Mr. Smith loved the Kiwanis work and was very active. He was presented the Kiwanian of the year award in 2003 and the President’s appreciation award in 2004.
Mr. Smith was an outdoors man at heart. He was an avid fisherman and belonged to and was President of the Broad Ripple Bassmasters of Indianapolis. He was a member of American Bass, Indiana Bass Federation, Redman Bass Tour and a life member of BASS. He was assistant scout master in the Boy Scouts. He helped coach both Little League Baseball and football. After retiring, Mr. Smith took up golf and loved to play, sometimes playing three to five days a week, hoping to tell someone, if he had the chance, about his five holes in one. He loved bowling as well, and bowled with the Senior Men’s Bowling League in Columbus.
Leroy met his lovely wife Linda Pettitt, a Columbus resident, and daughter of Max and Jane Pettitt, also of Columbus, while fishing on Lake Monroe, near Bloomington, Indiana. They were married in 1991 in a beautiful setting on Strom Thurmond Lake in South Carolina. They have a son, Ian Christian Smith, born 1994.
Funeral services will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Barkes, Weaver, & Glick Funeral Home on Washington Street with Pastor Dan Taube officiating.
Family and friends may call from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday and also 9 a.m. until service time. Masonic services will be conducted by St. John’s Masonic Lodge #20 at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Graveside services will be at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens in Greenwood on Wednesday at 1 p.m. with Military graveside rites.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.
Online condolences and special memories may be shared with the Smith family and a video tribute viewed at barkesweaverglick.com.
Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Linda; son, Ian; daughter, Teresa Fancher of Greenwood; and adopted sons, Mark Steven Smith of California and Jeffrey Lee Smith of Stilesville, Indiana. He is also survived by a brother, Lowell Smith of Longwood, Florida. Mr. Smith had ten grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Leroy and Leora Smith; his step-father, Dale Utterback; his first wife, Phyllis; and his sister, Loretta Hefley.
