Roy Clayton Smith went to his heavenly home at the age of 89 on September 5, 2023. He was born on September 11, 1933 in Oak Grove, LA to the late Jesse Wayland and Mary Ann Clayton Smith.

He was a member of and served as deacon at First Baptist Church of Norphlet. He earned a BS in agricultural engineering from Louisiana Tech in Ruston, LA and a Master of Divinity from Midwestern Baptist Seminary in Kansas City, MO. He pastored churches in Rushville and Oregon, MO and was pastor of Temple Baptist Church in El Dorado, AR for 26 years.

He was an inspector at ENSCO for the Arkansas Dept of Pollution Control for 13 years. He loved being a pastor and gardening. He was a master tinkerer and could fix most anything. He also loved babies and playing the saxophone.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother James Wayland Smith and his wife Mary Agnes; and one sister Sarah Rogers.

Those left to cherish his memory include: his sister Pat Breaux and her husband Ophie ; niece Carla Smith; two nephews Robert Hayes and his wife Yola,  and Jason Hayes and his wife Ruby; sister-in-law Dean Calvert and her husband Jim and their daughters Allison, Leslie, and Anna; his loving wife since November 22, 1962 Carolyn Marsh Smith; three sons Lawrence Ross Higgenbotham and his wife Alice, Clayton Scott Smith and his wife Pam, and Douglas Wayland Smith and his wife Dawn; six grandchildren Meg Johnson and her husband Scotty, Lauren Lee, Margeaux Smith, Gracie Smith, Sophie Mae Smith; two great-grandchildren Parker Lee, and A.J. Johnson; four bonus grands Ali McEntee and her husband Kevin, Zachary Stackhouse, Summer Thomas and her husband Logan, and Ginger Johnson.

A celebration of his life will be held at 2:00 pm Saturday, September 9, 2023, at First Baptist Church of Norphlet. Visitation will be at 1:00 pm until time of service at the church.