Thomas Granger Smith

Thomas Granger Smith November 18, 1927 – July 12, 2006 Thomas Smith, 78, of Woodway passed away peacefully at his home on July 12, 2006. Services will be at 1:30 pm Saturday, July 15 at Wilkirson Hatch Bailey Chapel. Burial will be at 9:00 am Monday, July 17 at the Ocatillo Ranch on Prairie Chapel Road in Crawford, TX. Visitation with the family is at 6 to 8 pm Friday, July 14 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Chapel. Tom was born on November 18, 1927 to Mary Cox and Lt. Col. Lawrence Granger Smith in Athens, Georgia. Tom spent his childhood on army posts in West Texas, Kansas, and San Antonio. His father was colonel in the U.S. Cavalry. Tom was a mischievous youth who never lost that twinkle in his eye. As a boy, he blew up chicken coops, painted boys green and prevented the evening cannon salute by absconding with the firing pin. He learned surveying in high school and spent one summer climbing the mountains near Cloudcroft, New Mexico as part of a surveying crew. Tom attended University of Texas at Austin for two years where he majored in having fun. He then spent four years at Virginia Polytechnic Institute graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked for McDonnell-Douglas in Long Beach. One night he fell in love with the roommate of his date – a green-eyed beauty named Glenda. Tom and Glenda were married on April 4, 1953. Three children were born: Lawrence Granger, II in 1955, Jean Cullen in 1959 and Elizabeth Butler in 1961. Tom and Glenda settled in Waco in 1955 where he worked for SAMSCO. When SAMSCO closed their doors in 1961, Tom started Smith Pump Company. The business has grown to 60 employees today. Tom’s honesty and integrity drove the business but he maintained that his employees were the reason for his success. In 1986, Tom bought the ranch he’d always dreamed about along with cattle, cornfields, barns, tractors, and a farm house. He enjoyed deer hunting and spent endless hours on top of and underneath his tractor. Tom was honest, competitive, fun-loving, hard working, stubborn … he was a gentleman, a leader and a great storyteller. He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara Guthrie sister and Edward Smith brother. He is survived by this wife of 53 years, his children, sister – Sally Chase, grandchildren, Thomas Granger Smith II, Alexandra Rose Radtke, Alison Lynn Smith, Glenda Galbraith Radtke, Nolan Aleksei Wilson, and Juliana Grace Wilson and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Midway ISD Foundation 1205 Foundation Drive, Waco, TX 76710. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com. Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey