Floyd Smith

Floyd Milton Smith was born October 7, 1932 to Floyd and Elsie Smith in Lake Providence, Louisiana. He grew up as a sharecropper’s son, and the middle child between his sisters Arma and Jo. When he was 13 years old, Floyd Senior left the family, and Floyd did everything he could to support his mother and sisters. He took over his father’s sharecropper duties while also working at a dairy before and after school. At 17, Floyd received special dispensation to join the navy as a minor and served during the Korean War. When his tour ended, Floyd attended Louisiana State University for a time, but quit school to devote himself to working full time in order to provide for Elsie and Jo. He quickly became the Assistant Dean at a business school where he met his wife and the love of his life, Clara Quave.

Within months of meeting the two eloped in 1954. Just a few years later, in 1957, they welcomed their first child, Roxanne and a few years after that in 1960, they had David.

Floyd enjoyed fishing, crabbing, shrimping, boating, (basically anything you could do on the bayou), and gardening, and he liked an occasional shot of Bailey’s Irish Cream.

He was completely devoted to his family. He was there for every soccer game, piano recital, dance performance, and graduation ceremony. For his family, Floyd was always a pillar of strength and support. Kind, funny, smart, and tough, Floyd was an amazing father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

After 87 years of life and nearly 65 years of marriage, Floyd will be forever remembered by his family: devoted sister Jo, loving children Roxanne and David, treasured grandchildren Keith, Matthew, Heather, Samantha, Madison, and Connor, and dear great-grandchildren Hayden, Addison, Gavin, Max, and Roxanne.