Bobby Smith, husband of Betty, father of Lisa and Susan, grandpa of Dustin, was lost last month to cancer. It is never easy to understand why someone who is so depended upon, by so many, has to die. His whole family has been so actively involved in business church, and civic organizations, that the lines of people coming by the funeral home to pay respects almost never ended.

Bobby's obituary read like a Who's Who of civic leaders: he was co-owner of Columbia Ready Mix, Egypt Construction Company and Flowers 'N Things; member, deacon and chair of the Activities and Fellowship Team of the Columbia Christian Church; member of the Columbia-Adair County Volunteer Fire Department, Jaycees, Hood Masonic Lodge #830; a founding member and scuba diver with the Adair County Rescue Squad; pilot and former chair of the Columbia-Adair County Airport Board.

"We never had a cross word in my whole life ," said his daughter Lisa Smith Loy, and that fits with what most of us remember about Bobby, a positive, can-do person, always ready to help.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Grant Smith, two daughters, Lisa, her husband Dennis and son Dustin, and by Susan Jones, and special friend and partner Nick Jones. The family requests that expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to his church.