Obituaries 03-26-26

ROGER LEWIS SMITH

Aug. 16, 1938-March 14, 2026

Funeral services for Roger Lewis Smith, 87, of Natchez were conducted on 
Saturday, March 21, 2026 from the Chapel of Laird Funeral Home, with 
Glen Roberts officiating. 

Interment followed at Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery.

Born on Aug. 16, 1938 in McCall Creek to Ellis and Sarah Smith, he 
graduated from East Franklin High School in McCall Creek in 1956 and 
moved to Natchez, where he began employment with Premo Stallone. He met 
Betty Calvin of Natchez and, after a short courtship, they married on 
June 25, 1960. He was a devoted husband for nearly 66 years and the was 
the proud father of his two sons, Roger Allan and Kevin Michael Smith.

He entered the Mississippi National Guard in 1961 and proudly served for 
seven years.

He later became part owner of Natchez Sheet Metal in 1981. In 1995, he 
started his own air conditioning and heating business — Roger Smith 
Heating and Cooling — from which he retired in 2011.

He served on the Adams County Water Board for 27 years, 20 of those 
years on the Executive Board. During his free time, he enjoyed traveling 
and family vacations. He and his wife, Betty, were Charter Members of 
the Steamboat Sam's Good Sam Club, where they traveled often in their 
recreational vehicle.

In addition to traveling, he enjoyed hunting, cutting grass on his 
tractor, live music, playing cards and dominos, researching and talking 
about family history and watching every Adams County Christian School 
football game, mostly when his sons and grandson were on the team and 
later basketball when his granddaughter played for the school.

He died on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 66 years, Betty Calvin Smith; his 
sons and daughters-in-law, Allan and Dawn Smith of Metarie, La. and 
Kevin and Sandy Smith of Natchez; his grandson and his spouse, Cullen 
and Kayla Smith; his granddaughter, Sarah Smith; his grandson and his 
spouse, Raymond and Diane Smith; his granddaughter and her husband, 
Danielle and Tyler Raymond; his great-grandchildren, Ella Jax, Landry, 
Art and Grayson; and his special nephew, Shane Pollan.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister and 
brother-in-law, Maxine and Jerry Dunnigan; his sisters and a 
brother-in-law, Elsie Hicks and Joyce and Troy Stanford; his brother and 
sister-in-law, Ellise and Earline Smith, Jr.; and his brother-in-law and 
his wife, Herman and Gwen Cavin.

Pallearers will be Allan Smith, Kevin Smith, Cullen Smith, Shane Pollan, 
Alex Raymond and Tyler Serio.

The family would like to take this opportunity to thank the employees of 
Deaconess Home Health and Bristol Hospice for the love and care they 
gave to Mrs. Smith.

Laird Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.