Obituary of R. Thomas Smith

R. Thomas Smith, beloved companion, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully at his home at the age of 83 and entered the Kingdom of God on January 13, 2019.Roy Thomas Smith was born on October 4, 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from St. Louis Lutheran High School in 1953. He attended the Missouri School of Mines (Missouri University of Science and Technology) and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Ceramic Engineering in 1958. Tom served his country honorably as a Reserve Officer in the U.S. Army, married his high school sweetheart and raised a family. Tom spent a career working for Kaiser Aluminum and Chemical, holding various engineering, sales, marketing, and managerial positions in Missouri, California, Ohio, and Australia. In 1977, he received an honorary professional degree from the University of Missouri-Rolla "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the engineering profession." Over the years, he was the president of the St. Louis section of the American Ceramic Society and Commonwealth President of the Australian Ceramic Society. He also had been active in Rotary International. After retiring from Kaiser, he relocated to the Colorado Springs area where he made his home for over twenty-five years. During that time, he worked as an administrator for the Colorado Springs Economic Development Council. Tom was strong in his Christian faith and was an active member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, serving as a lay reader, an usher, working with the church's food bank, and calling on church members in need. His faith, service and humility were an inspiration to his family and friends.Tom enjoyed life in Colorado Springs, attending musical theater and sporting events whenever he could. He loved nature and traveled both locally and internationally to twenty-seven countries throughout his life.He is survived by his son, Michael Smith and wife, Ilana Herzberg; his daughter, Vicki Smith and her husband, Greg Venburg; and two grandsons, Matthew Smith and Mark Smith. He is also survived by his longtime love and companion, Virginia "Ginny" Newman. Interment, Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Colorado.Memorial contributions in Tom's memory may be made to Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Symphony, or the Missouri University of Science and Technology.Blessed be his memory. Events Final Resting Place Evergreen Cemetery 1005 Hancock Expressway Colorado Springs, CO 80903