Richard Paul Smith
Richard Paul Smith, 63 of Houston passed away Tuesday, January 31, 2023 after a brief but serious encounter with cancer. Richard was born May 9, 1959 in Midland, Michigan to Kenneth Selwyn Smith and Clara Kaczynski Smith. He is survived by his sister Sharon (Smith) Gower and husband John; his brother, Mark Smith and wife Kathy and their daughter Erin Behrmann and husband Michael and their children, Brendan and Isla; son Andrew Smith, son Jeffrey Smith and wife Charlotte; and daughter Claire Smith. Richard is also survived by many, many good friends, extended family and dear cousins Shirley Jones, Tammy Wilhoyte and husband Jim, Ted Thompson, Trafta and David O'Bryan and their daughter Dana Peters and husband Todd and son Nathan O'Bryan. Richard was a devoted son to his Mother and Father and helped them out significantly as they aged.
Growing up in the small town of Auburn, Michigan, he attended Auburn Area Catholic grade school and graduated from Western High School in the class of 1977. He began his working career in the Bay City, Michigan District Court as a court clerk after graduating high school. At the age of 21, Richard migrated to Houston, Texas and found a job in the District Court of Harris County Texas working for Judge Ruby Sondock. He pursued a college degree in the evenings and earned his BBA degree from The University of Houston – Downtown Campus. Richard changed careers to Human Resource Management after graduating from UH specializing in compensation policy and practices. He worked for multinational companies such as Chase Bank, Schlumberger, Saudi Aramco and finally Valaris until his death.
Richard was a longtime member of St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Houston where he had a large network of very good friends. He enjoyed biking, walking and trying to keep himself in good shape. He had a huge heart, always willing to give a friend a hand or engage in conversation. He especially loved helping people in making decisions to find the best "deal" on major purchases such as a new car, appliance or cell phone. Evening TV shows were a ritual, and he especially loved the Hallmark channel while sitting in his living room recliner. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
The Smith family will receive friends and family Thursday, February 9, 2023 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Dettling Funeral Home, 14094 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77079. Holy Rosary and a short prayer service will begin at 7:00 PM followed by words from friends and all. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, February 10, 2023 at 10:30 AM at St. John Vianney Catholic Church, 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, TX 77079. A reception in the Church facilities with a light lunch and refreshments will be held immediately after the Funeral Mass.
In lieu of flowers the family prefers contributions in Richard's memory to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, St John Vianney Catholic Church or Memorial Trees.