Gary Dean Smith

1947-2025

It is with very heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Gary Dean Smith. Loving husband, devoted father, and amazing grandpa. Gary went to be with his heavenly family on December 12, 2025. Funeral services will be Thursday, December 18th at 10:00 a.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Weatherford with Pastor Joe Sanders officiating. Burial to follow at Greenwood Cemetery in Weatherford. Viewing will be at Lockstone Funeral Home on the Tuesday and Wednesday before.

Gary was born just north of Weatherford on August 16, 1947 to Al and Violet Smith. The youngest of five, he lived and worked on the family farm while also hunting, fishing, and spending time with cousins and his extremely large extended family. They would later move into town where he attended Weatherford Public Schools until his high school graduation in 1965. Growing up, he learned a tremendous work ethic that would serve him and everyone he knew his whole life. That work ethic and toughness flowed from him to everyone that he worked with and later taught.

He worked various jobs growing up around Weatherford. He worked on many farms over the years. He talked about his time picking watermelons and moving irrigation equipment in the summers. He would later work at his aunt and uncle's Route 66 cafe, The Caravan, when he was older. In junior high and high school, he played football and made many lifelong friends that he would keep for years. It was in high school that he took carpentry classes under Mr. A.L. Lee. His love of carpentry and of construction came from those classes, along with working with his uncle Arvest Smith, and later for Lawrence Vogt.

After graduating High School, Gary joined the National Guard and started attending SWOSU while continuing to work in construction. He would meet his wife, Linda Franklin in 1967 and they would later be married at the Pleasant Valley church, south of Hydro, on September 6, 1968. They would live in Weatherford for several years while they both pursued degrees from the college. They grew into each others families and Linda's came to view Gary as a son who gave time and help to anyone that needed it.

He finished his Trades and Industries degree in 1970 and they would later move to Ft. Defiance, Arizona in 1972. There, he taught high school construction while coaching Jr. High football and track and field. He enjoyed watching his students learn and interacting with the Navajo tribe where he and Linda taught. While in Arizona, they would have their first son, Trevor, who was born in 1974.

Gary and Linda moved back to Oklahoma in 1976, to Ft. Cobb, where he taught construction at the local vo-tech. This would lead to a 31 year career of teaching trades at the high school level. In 1976, he was offered the Trades and Industry job of his old teacher in Weatherford. In 1977, Gary finished his Master of Vocational Education from Oklahoma State University and moved to Weatherford. In his first year of teaching, his class built the house where they live on Magnolia St. in 1978. They were blessed with a second son Tyler in January of 1979. Like most educators, Gary had to work extra jobs during the summers, and this led to him creating his business of Key Pools around 1981. Over the years, he built many pools, fences, or other projects over the summers. He would build this into a family business where they still continue to build and service pools up to present day. He loved working beside his children.

Gary and his T&I class build a house every year for close to 25 years. He taught countless students the trades of carpentry, concrete, and cabinet building. Everything needed to build and finish a house. He loved being able to give students the chance to learn a trade and to learn the skills that would help them later in life. He made sure they understood what kind of work was involved in becoming a professional. Even though the students sometimes would make mistakes, he would show them how to correct them and learn from the experience. He often said that the only people who don't make mistakes are the ones who don't do anything. Many students over the years went on to build their own businesses and careers, and many in Weatherford and Oklahoma can trace their success to him and that class.

There were lots of class projects where work was done for the school or City of Weatherford. One year, Gary and his students built all of the cabinets for the new Burcham Elementary. Other years, they built the original visitors' bleachers at the high school football field and remodeled the administration building. Later classes built the Scout and Rotary Hut in Weatherford and finished work on the building that would become the Heartland of America Museum. After the tornado hit Cordell in 2001, his classes helped by patching windows and roofs in the area. He retired from teaching in 2008 and would later go on to serve on the board of the Western Technology Center from 2013 to 2022.

Gary loved to help people whenever he could. He helped countless people with their new homes, and many family and friends with getting into and advancing careers in the trades. He loved to cook, especially on his grill. His end of school cookouts were events that many looked forward to and were a highlight and a reward for a year of the hard work that had been put in. He loved to cook for his family and help feed others in hard times and times of need. Over the years, he also volunteered and worked on many projects for the school and city. He was president of the high school's quarterback club several times, and he served on the board and advisor for Weatherford's Habitat for Humanity who built their first house in 1993. He coached many little league teams throughout the years for his sons and their friends.

Over the last several years, Gary has continued to work. He has maintained his love of OU football and Thunder Basketball through the good and bad times. He loved going to the OU games and was able to attend several bowl games throughout the years. In March of 2000, He and Linda were blessed by twin granddaughters Teagan and Savannah from son Tyler and daughter in law, Kendra. He has spent most of his energy the last five years on showing them how much they are loved. He loved them more than the world. Everyone who met Gary knew he was special. Whether it was through hard work or generosity. He rarely said a bad word and was proud of his sons, many nephews and nieces that have gone on to have careers and families of their own. If you worked with him or were just around him, he made lives better. His loss will be felt a long time, and his memory will be celebrated for many years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Dorothy Weast and her two daughters, Sharon and Barbara. His sister, Juanita Randolf and her husband Junior and daughter June. His brother James, and his son in law Todd. His father in law Dude Franklin and mother in law Elnor Franklin. He leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Linda, son Trevor of Stillwater, son and daughter in law Tyler and Kendra Smith, and granddaughters Teagan and Savannah Smith of Oklahoma City. He is survived by his brother Dewayne, sister in laws Judy, Shirley, Nita, Charlette, Tammie, and their families. Also, many nieces, nephews, and cousins.