Robert T., 84, of Midwest City died October 25, 1995, of congestive heart failure. He was born May 24, 1911, in Hagerman, TX, to W.N. and Lucy Smith. In 1946, he married Ruth Tompkins of Stillwater. After attending Austin College in Sherman, TX, he became principal and teacher of the Hagerman school. He received a B.S. degree from Central State Teachers College in Edmond and was employed by the Oklahoma City school system as teacher at Capital Hill Junior High and as Vice Principal at Jackson Junior High.

After serving three years in the Army Air Corps in Fairbanks, Alaska, during World War II, he joined G.E. Supply Corp. In 1949 he co-founded an appliance store, Smith-Brown Co. in Shawnee and opened a second store in Midwest City in 1951, which became Smith Hardware Co. Robert then established Southeast Hardware in Oklahoma City, now owned by his sons.

Robert is survived by his wife, Ruth; son Paul and wife Linda of Oklahoma City; son Mark of Moore; and daughter Phyllis and her husband, "Clip" and their children, "Skip" and Shelley. He leaves a brother, Edwin, and his wife, Irene, of Littleton, CO, and a sister-in-law, Lola Smith of Dennison, TX, plus many nieces and nephews. Robert is pre-deceased by brothers, Elbert and Bruce and sister, Mary Brown.

Family interment service at 10am Monday, October 30, Arlington Memory Gardens, memorial service at 11m Wickline United Methodist Church. (Bill Eisenhour Southeast)