RANDAL PAUL SMITH,
age 76, of the Ferndale community in Little Rock, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 9, 2021, after battling cancer for several years. He was born on February 3, 1945, in Junction City, Ark., to Walter (Pete) and Minnie Pepper Smith.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Todd Smith; two sisters, Vivian Burton and Carolyn Perry. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Williamson Smith of Little Rock; sister, Valerie Beal of Cabot; two daughters, Schelly Paul and son-in-law Rick Paul of Sherwood, Debi Rios and son-in-law, Roger of Texarkana; two grandsons, Darnell Paul and Jonathon Paul; granddaughter, Addison Rios; nieces and nephews, Tim and Sugar Pepper of South Carolina, Randy and Sherry Zakes of Dallas, Ladonis, John and Amanda Ellison of Florida, Sandra Bowlus and Joe Carlo of California, Sharon Taylor Freshwater and family of Rogers, Jennifer Taylor Benson and family of Lowell and Charles Taylor of Lowell; and a host of friends.
Paul graduated from Junction City High School and Business School in Shreveport, La. He was raised working on the family farm, and after his father’s death, when he was only 12, he worked on his uncle’s farm. Paul was retired from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and was an active member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. He was actively involved in community affairs in Ferndale and Little Rock and was previously involved in Big Brothers of Pulaski County. He was a deeply religious Christian as well as humble man and never took credit himself.
He was a newspaper man through-and-through for fifty years, retiring from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as President in 2014. He started out delivering ads for the El Dorado News Times. His hard work growing up carried over to his career as a newspaper man for fifty years. He was a natural-born salesman, always placing the interests of his advertisers first. When Walter Hussman, Jr., joined the newspaper’s family business in 1970, his father told him of an impressive young man working at the El Dorado News Times. Paul and Walter later met and became close friends and associates, working together at the Camden News. When the Hussmans considered buying the Arkansas Democrat in 1974, they sent Paul to Little Rock for due diligence. He cautioned against buying the Democrat given the strength of the Arkansas Gazette, but afterwards the purchase went through and Paul moved to Little Rock as Advertising Director, later being promoted to General Manager, then President of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and later as President of all of the company’s newspapers, WEHCO. Paul and Walter worked closely together to create a more competitive newspaper in Little Rock, but eventually the Democrat acquired the Gazette’s assets and the two papers became the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with both names maintained in the surviving newspaper. Paul’s success as a newspaper manager could be measured by the loyalty and respect of those who worked with and for him. He was a great motivator, generously giving credit to others. He was known to most as more of a friend than a boss who they also learned had great judgement. Paul considered his coworkers as his second family. He made sometimes difficult decisions but always with what he thought was best, with explanations to those involved.
Our joy for Paul is that he is in Heaven with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with no more pain or suffering. Paul will be dearly missed.
Elizabeth, his wife of 44 years, wishes to thank their host of great friends, their church family, Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, and a very special longtime employee and friend, Jerry Steele, his wife Kathy and son Jared. She also wishes to thank all of his nurses and doctors throughout his illness, those at Arkansas Urology; his team of caregivers and therapists at Kindred Care, Arkansas Ostomy, Colonel Glenn Rehab; and in his later days with us, Lolita from Synergy Homecare.
Memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to Arkansas Sheriff’s Youth Ranch in Batesville, Ark., Special Olympics in North Little Rock, or the Pulaski Humane Society.
A visitation will be held at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church on Saturday, March 20, 2021, from the hours of 1-2 p.m., with service to follow. A private burial will follow the service. Compliance with the Arkansas Department of Health’s guidelines regarding visitation will be made limiting visitation to 50 people at a time.