Travis R. Smith

After a brief illness, Travis received his eternal healing Thursday, January 6 when he was ushered into the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Travis was born March 16, 1930 in Eric Oklahoma to Sam and Ruby Smith, later moving with his six brothers and sisters to Bethany where he graduated High School with the class of 1949. Travis continued his education attending Oklahoma City University on a basketball scholarship where he played with notables, such as Abe Lemon. After graduating with honors from OCU, Travis returned to Bethany High School, where he coached basketball and baseball for four years, taking his 1955 baseball team to a State Championship. Travis then coached baseball for four years at Southeast High School, coaching the future New York Yankees great, Bobby Mercer. The impact Travis had on the lives of young men while coaching cannot be understated, and is something he was proud of throughout his life. Although proud of his accomplishments as a coach, his true passion was golf. Oh, how he loved golf! Shooting his age for the first time in 1997 at age 67, and by 2019, at the age of 89, shot his age for the 1000th time. Along the way Travis also collected 12 career holes-in-one, and many city-wide, as well as, state-wide tournament championships. Travis was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 72 years, Juanita Smith, his mother, father and six brothers and sisters and leaves behind daughter, Janice Upton and husband Jim of Guthrie OK, and the Honorable Robin Smith of Midland TX. The family requests that donations to Water4 be made in lieu of flowers and/or cards. Donations can be accomplished by visiting www.water4.org and adding Smith Family Project/Kenya in the comment section. Services celebrating Travis’ life are pending due to COVID restrictions.