Carroll Lee Smith

Carroll Lee Smith (1931–2026) passed away peacefully on September 10, 2026. He was born in Perryton, Texas, the second of five children, to a family that weathered the Great Depression and World War II together.

A standout athlete in his youth, Carroll was a three-sport athlete (basketball, football, track) and was the starting quarterback for the Pampa (Texas) Harvesters in 1949. He earned his degree in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma in 1959. Between those chapters, he answered the call to service, enlisting in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1955, where he served as an Electrician's Mate Petty Officer First Class aboard the USS Preston in the Pacific during the Korean War. (Recipient of the National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal, China Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, Korean Service Medal, one star)

After the military, Carroll built a 30 plus-year career as an electrical engineer with Mountain Bell, where his work ranged from critical communications infrastructure to the Titan missile program in the 1960s—work he kept close to the vest, rarely discussing the details.

Reserved by nature but deeply caring in action, Carroll showed his love in consistent, quiet ways. He called his four children, Dina, Gary, Tracy, and Darla, every week without fail. He was a devoted grandfather to Brittany, Bayley, Tony, Kayla, Corinne, and Camille, and a great-grandfather to Sebastian, often taking an active hand in their care and upbringing. While not overly loquacious, he was always quick with a one-liner. In his retirement years, he also found joy and peace on the golf course and was always a tough opponent around the pool table.

Carroll is survived by his four children and their families, as well as his younger siblings Barb, Ronnie, and Wayne.

Fort Logan National Cemetery will serve as his final resting place.