Obituary

Merle Edmond “Sammy” Smith was born on July 4, 1928, in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He died on February 20, 2013, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the age of 84. Sammy was an auto mechanic by trade, but Sammy’s best job, with his wife Phyllis, was taking care of the babies at the nursery at New Life Center in Broken Arrow, OK. He went with her for 32 years and saw many babies and children grow up to return with their babies. He loved to talk about little children and always reminded us how precious the little ones are. He had a way of taking a crying baby, hushing it with soft words so that it would stop whimpering, and then he or she would go to sleep or go play. He missed taking care of the children after he and Phyllis retired from New Life Center. However, he had many photos of the children they took care of on his bookcase. He looked at those photos every day talked about how much he enjoyed his time with the little ones. Another activity he enjoyed was mowing the lawn at his home and around his neighborhood. He loved to be outdoors. Keeping the neighborhood trim and helping his neighbors when they couldn’t do their yard work brought him joy and satisfaction in a job well done. Sammy was always ready to give a smile or a hug away to every person he met. He enjoyed talking with people and sharing his love for God with them. He is remembered for his humor and for the stories he told. He always found ways to share his knowledge about auto mechanics. He told stories relating to what he had learned working on automobiles to everyday life. People seemed to enjoy the stories he told. He was always pleasant and liked to cheer people he came in contact with. Even when he was going for cancer treatments he would share a word of cheer with the staff and other patients. He is survived by his wife Phyllis Arlene Smith; three daughters: Judy Miller and husband David, Gena Malcolm and husband Ted, and Susan Morgan and husband Kevin; nine grandchildren: Luke Miller and wife Debbie, Steven Miller and wife Nuryhan, Rachel Skilton, Ted Malcolm, II, Rebekah Griffith and husband Henry, Sharon Johnson and husband Nick, Adam Morgan, Ada Morgan, and Emily Morgan; six great-grandchildren: Sarah, Abigail, Nicolas, Simon, Emma, and Jack; and by his brother Dennis Smith. Sammy was preceded in death by his parents: Guy Howard Smith and Pearl Alice Francisco. Condolences may be sent through the guest book on this page.