Homer Turner Smith, Jr., age 96, died on March 21, 2024. He was a longtime resident of Plantation, Florida. Born in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky on May 10, 1927, he was the son of Homer Turner Smith and Ora Bradley. He served in the United States Navy during World War II, after which he graduated from Livermore High School, as the salutatorian of his class. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering in 1954. Some highlights of his professional career were drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico and in the deserts of Wyoming and Colorado for Chevron Oil. He was the lead engineer for the Corp of Engineers, in the construction of the locks and reservoir on Barren River in Western Kentucky. He also worked on the construction of a system of locks on the Ohio River at Cannelton, Indiana. Before his retirement, he was the Operations Manager and Chief Engineer for the Chevron Oil Company in the Southeastern United States.
After his retirement, Homer loved to tour the United States on his BMW motorcycle, especially with his sons, John and Daniel, and with his son-in-law, Darrin. He served as a deacon in the Church of Christ. He was a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He and his wife, Reta Mae, were members of the University of Kentucky Fellows Society (College of Engineering).
In his private life, his greatest accomplishment was his marriage to Reta Mae Howard, of Livermore, to whom he was married for 61 years. His beloved wife died in August of 2010. They had five children: Joyce Ann, John Howard (deceased in 2012), Daniel Bradley (deceased in 2010), Kay Turner Smith (Lindley), and Margaret Lee (Smith). He is also survived by six grandchildren, Virginia, Sarah, Erik, Joshua, Jack, and Homer; and by numerous great grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at noon on Saturday, March 30, 2024 at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Penrod, Kentucky. Visitation is from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday at James H. Davis Funeral Home and Crematory.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to the Alzheimer’s Association, Kaden Tower, 6100 Dutchmans Lane, Ste. 401, Louisville, KY 40205-3284.