Roger Benjamin Smith

Roger Benjamin Smith, 69, died Wednesday, January 18, 2012 at an Abilene medical center. Born in Abilene, Texas on December 1, 1942, Roger was the son of Juanita (Tedford) and Herman Benjamin Smith. He was part of the Class of 1961 at Abilene High School. He served in the U S Army from September 27, 1962 to September 14, 1965. Assigned to the Nike-Hercules Battalion, he was stationed at Fort Phantom and Okinawa. After his discharge from military service, Roger returned to the City of Abilene. In 1968 he was employed by Southwestern Bell Telephone as a lineman and became a supervisor in Amarillo, Lubbock and Abilene, retiring in 2001 after 33 years. Roger was a member of Telephone Pioneers and Wyllie Baptist Church. He had been a volunteer for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life for the past 17 years. He enjoyed sports, traveling and hunting, but most of all family. Roger married Marion Pamplin Carnes on November 24, 1995 in Abilene. His parents and an infant son, Christopher Smith, preceded Roger in death. Roger is survived by his wife, Marion Smith of Abilene; seven children and their spouses, Angela and Randy Cain of Rowlett, Texas, Chuck and Shelley Smith, David and Debbie Carnes, and Daryl and Amy Carnes all of Abilene, Russell Smith and Sara Henry of Arlington, Texas, Rebecca Carnes and Glen Ivey of Abilene, and Jessica and Guy Giuffre of LaSelva Beach, California; 26 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Survivors also include two sisters and two brothers and their spouses, Pat and Jim Cheek and Bryan and Linda Smith all of Abilene, Danny and Kathy Smith of Waco, and Nita and Jimmie Underwood of Arlington, Texas, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 21, at Wylie Baptist Church with Rev. Donny Harbers officiating. Interment will follow in Drummond Cemetery directed by The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Rd. in Abilene. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials in honor of Roger may be made to Texas Cancer Center, 1957 Antilley Rd., Abilene, TX 79606, or American Cancer Society Relay for Life, 3402 North 1st St., Suite 102, Abilene, TX 79603.