Royce L Smith
Born on 01/07/1912
Entered eternal life on
11/21/2008
Born: Jan. 7, 1912 Died: Nov. 21, 2008 WAYNE - Royce Lee Smith, 96, of Wayne, died Nov. 21, 2008. He was born Jan. 7, 1912, in Conway, Ark., the son of William Hargrove Smith and Jennie Bloomer Smith. He received undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arkansas. He was a special agent with the FBI and later went to work for Engelhard Minerals and Chemicals. He moved to Chicago with Engelhard in 1953 and settled with his young family in Wayne, which remains their home to this day. After retiring from Engelhard, he did consulting work in Canada and the United States. He also worked with Roy Anderson of Anderson Manufacturing. He was a member of The Little Home Church by the Wayside, the White Gates Skeet Club and Dunham Woods Riding Club, where he served as president. He loved his family, his friends, tennis, fishing and music. He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Bettie Morgan Smith; two daughters, Dede Smith Waite of Falmouth, Maine, and Nancy Lee Kemper of Kansas City, Mo; a son-in-law, Jonathan Kemper; and five grandchildren, Morgan Read Waite, Carter Royce Waite, Charlotte Lee Kemper, Nicolas Thornton Kemper and David Benjamin Royce Kemper. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28, 2008, at The Little Home Church by the Wayside, 32W128 Army Trail Road, Wayne, with the Rev. Ronald W. Purser officiating. A private burial will be at Little Woods Cemetery. Donations in his memory may be made to The Little Home Church by the Wayside, 32W128 Army Trail Road, Wayne, IL 60184 Arrangements were made by the Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main St., St. Charles. For more information, contact the funeral home at 630-584-0060.