Thomas L. Smith, Jr. Obituary

Thomas L. Smith, Jr. attended Tioga High School in Tioga, LA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Thomas L. Smith, Jr..

Graduation Year	Faculty
Date of Passing	Sep 04, 2009
About	Thomas L. Smith Jr. September 4, 2009 Services for Thomas L. Smith Jr. will be held at 11 Saturday, September 5, 2009, in the Chapel of Hixson Brothers, Pineville with Reverend Tim Hisaw, Dr. David Cranford and Mr. Billy Avery officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Park. Congregational singing of Blessed Assurance will be lead by Sam Domico. Mr. Owen Brown will sing the special music. Pallbearers will be William Neal, James Neal, Danny Davis, Robert Wiggins, Kenneth Smith and James P. Smith. Honorary pallbearers will be Zack Lofton, David McKnight, Sam Domico, Jesse McManus, Charles Arrington, Marvin Jordan and J. W. Crump. Mr. Smith, 92, of DeRidder passed away Thursday, September 3, 2009, at Rosepine Rehabilitation Center. He was a member of Tioga First Baptist Church. Mr. Smith was a 1935 graduate of Ogden High School and a 1939 graduate of Louisiana College with a Batchelor of Arts Degree, he completed his Master's Degree at North Texas State University. He taught geometry and algebra and coached basketball, softball and baseball at Tioga High School from 1939 to 1942. Served in the U. S. Army Air Corps as a Staff Sergeant and Physical Training Instructor for the troops at Keesler Field during World War II, from 1942 - 1945. After his tour of duty, Mr. Smith returned to his position as teacher and coach at Tioga High School. He served as Assistant Principal at Tioga High School 1946 to 1962, and as Principal at Mary Goff Elementary School from 1962 until 1972. Mr. Smith lettered in football, basketball and track at Louisiana College, was an award-winning athlete in the area of track and field, having set javelin records and winning gold medals in Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Southern Amateur Athletic regional meets and twice winning the silver medal at the National Amateur Athletic Union National Championship meets. He was a charter member of the Louisiana College Sports Hall of Fame and was inducted into the Tioga High School Hall of Fame in 1997. In 2005 he was honored by the Tioga High School Alumni Association, as August 6, 2005 was declared "Thomas L. Smith Jr. Day" at the annual reunion celebration. Mr. Smith was known in the community as an avid hunter and fisherman. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas L. and Lillie Modena Ingram Smith; brothers, Luther Porter, Otis Porter, A. E. Smith, and James Paul Smith; sisters, Meddie Smith Davis, Christina Smith, Lavinia Smith, Juanita Smith Lovell and Irene Smith Wiggins. Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 58 years, Mabel Hargis Smith; daughter, Susan Claire Smith McLaughlin and husband, Clarke of DeRidder; sister, Jeannette Smith Neal. Friends may call at Hixson Brothers, Pineville from, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 8 a.m. Saturday until service time. Donations may be sent to the Tioga First Baptist Church, 1309 Singer Dr, Pineville, LA or to the Thomas and Mabel Smith Scholarship Fund at Louisiana College. To extend online condolences to the Smith family, please visit us at www.hixson brothers.com.