Alfred Cannon Smith, born April 24, 1924 in Beckham County, OK, was the second born son of Henry Smith and Golda Rhee Cannon. He grew up a farm boy and loved everything about "working in the dirt," as he called it. No one had a more beautiful yard when he was still well enough to work in the yard. He was always the first to try a new plant or vegetable. He was one of the earliest employees of Leeway Motor Freight in Oklahoma. He went to work for them when they were still known as Sooner Motor Freight. He obtained his CDL license at the age of 14 and retained it in good standing up until his retirement at the age of 65. He remained with Leeway until 1966, working as an agent for them in Anadarko and Clinton, OK. He left to join the Joe Hodges Trucking company, where he remained until 1970, when he opened his own trucking company, Caddo Express. Caddo Express grew to cover a large part of southwest Oklahoma, northwest Oklahoma, and the Panhandle. He sold the company in 1974, but didn't stay retired for long. He reopened in 1976 as Smith Motor Freight and returned to serving the area he loved most, Anadarko and Caddo County. He retired from trucking the last time in 1987, but wasn't finished with his working life. He decided to go to welding school and worked part time as a welder for a trailer manufacturer. He married Roberta Wells in August 1948 in Wheeler, TX. He married Ora V. Mansell in June 1965 and Opal Smithey in December 1985 in Elk City, OK. He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Golda; his brothers, Fay and Henry; and his wives, Ora and Opal. He is survived by his sister, Jane Kimbrough; two nieces, Janet and Nancy; four children and their mother: Roberta Smith, Cindy and husband Billy Yocum, Wayne and wife Barbara Smith, Becky and husband Greg Paysnoe and Sue and husband David Pipkin; 11 grandchildren: Bradley Barry, Lori Lowe, Ryan Smith, Evan Smith, Aidan Smith, Breanna Smith, Amanda Smith, Eric Paysnoe, Jeremy Paysnoe, Megan Paysnoe, Kyle Paysnoe and 7 great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M., Wednesday, August 19, 2009, in the Resthaven Funeral Home Chapel, with interment following in Resthaven Memory Gardens.


Published in The Oklahoman on August 16, 2009