Rodney Truman Smith

Rodney Truman Smith, son of the late George and Melba (Helms) Smith, was born May 26, 1945, in Sullivan, Missouri, and departed this life July 20, 2017, in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He was 72 years, 1 month, and 25 days of age.

Growing up, Rodney’s family moved around Missouri, but spent most of their time in Herculaneum, Missouri, and Sullivan, Missouri. He graduated from Herculaneum High School where he played football, and won the state championship in 1964.

Rodney met the love of his life, Marilyn Boone, in 1964. Rodney and Marilyn were united in marriage on February 20, 1965, in St. Louis, Missouri. Two sons were born to this union: Rodney and Russell.

Rodney worked construction for most of his career, and he helped build the St. Louis Arch. He later worked for ProCare Medical Supply until he retired.

Rodney loved spending time with his family and friends. He spent the last 32 years chasing and spoiling his grandkids and great-grandkids. You could always find him swinging and singing one of them to sleep. Rodney was also an avid hunter, and he looked forward to deer camp every year. When he had time to fish, he was always trying to beat Marilyn with the “big catch.”

Besides his parents, Rodney was preceded in death by three brothers, Sonny Lee, Bud Zane, and Elmer “Junior” Smith, and by two sisters, Bonnie West and Mary Lou Blattner.

He is survived by his loving wife of their home, Marilyn Smith; two sons, Rodney Smith and his wife, Linda, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, and Russell Smith of Mountain Grove, Missouri; four grandchildren, Rodney Z. Smith, Russell D. Smith Jr., Zane Tylor Smith, and Whitney N. Aldridge; eight great-grandchildren, Sumor, Samuel, Zion, Skyler, Kaya, Kaleb, Araya, and Zander Smith; two brothers, Bill Birch and his wife, Sherri, of Meadowbrook, Missouri, and Roy Lee Smith of Mountain Grove, Missouri; six sisters, Kay Daniels and her husband, Bill, of Falcon, Missouri, Charolette Rutledge and her husband, Randy, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Verla Elliott Underwood and her husband, Ed, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, Sandy Lane and Mike Allen, of Cabool, Missouri, Loretta Crisp and her husband, Dennis, of Lebanon, Missouri, and Sherrell Blair and Danny Akers, of Ironton, Missouri, one sister-in-law, Francis Smith, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, a special sister-in-law, Carol Caruthers, of Festus, Missouri, a brother-in-law, Russ Stevenson, of Mountain Grove, Missouri, a niece who was like the daughter he never had, Cindy Herrell, of Festus, Missouri, and a host of other family and friends who will miss him.