Robert Lee Smith was born on June 7, 1947, to Esther Parsons and Robert Lewis Smith in South Bend Indiana. He attended Purdue University briefly before being drafted to military service in 1968. He became a Marine and served his country as a mobile air traffic unit during the Vietnam war. He married Georgia Harris and had a daughter, Marla LeMae in 1969. He became an Air Traffic Controller after his military service, until 1981, whereby he and 11,000 other ATC’s were unscrupulously fired by Ronald Reagan. He later met Geraldine Centner and lived with her for the better part of two decades. Robert had demons and struggled with depression. He was a good man and did his best for the people he loved. He was always outgoing and never met a stranger. Robert was well loved and touched everyone he met with love and friendship. He loved to travel the open road and visit friends and new places. He loved his pets and kept several dogs and cats over the years, as well as horses. He loved the water, was an avid water skier in his youth. He loved card games, like Euchre and cribbage. Later in life he became the moderator of backgammon games and made many great friends around the world. He was very devoted to his fellow veterans. Robert volunteered with the DAV as a driver. He transported his fellow vets to their appointments at the Benton Harbor Va outpatient clinic, Battle Creek VA and Ann Arbor VA. He is survived by his daughter, Marla, his two grandchildren, Violet and Rose. As well as his siblings, Richard, Roger, Linda, and Jackie. He is preceded by his parents and two step- brothers, Arliss and Ancel Patrick.
We miss you dad.”