Roy Earl Smith

roy smith

October 14, 1940 ~ September 16, 2026

Born in: Houston , Texas
Resided in: Shady Shores, Texas

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Roy Earl Smith, age 85 of Shady Shores, Texas, passed away on September 16, 2026. Born in Houston, TX, he was the son of Leon and Lillian Smith and the husband of Pamela Harrill-Smith. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister Elaine Smith.

In 1963, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX and was a registered Texas Professional Engineer.  After over 30 years as a manager in the Federal Emergency Management Agency working on Disasters and later, the Radiological Emergency (Nuclear) program, he continued working with ICF Consulting and then Cadmus Group for the last 31 years as a Radiological Exercise Evaluator for FEMA.

In addition to his wife, Pamela, Roy is survived by his 3 children, Kyl (Kathy) Smith and Lindsay (Erik) Palmer, both of Shady Shores; Shawn (Sally) Smith of Atlanta, GA; 5 grandchildren, Kenah, Samantha, Kylan, Spencer, and Madelyn, along with Sister Jeanette Reuter and Brother Gene.

Roy’s family would like to share that he lived, breathed, and embodied the most incredible positive energy imaginable, and he was always deeply dedicated to his family, friends, and their well-being. He was the cornerstone, rock, and patriarch of the family he loved, and he will be dearly missed.

In accordance with Roy’s longtime wishes, his ashes will be distributed in a very special place during a small, immediate family gathering.

Arrangements in the care of Compassion Funeral & Cremation Services, Nashville, TN (615) 857-9955. We proudly remain locally owned & operated.

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  3. Pam, Lindsey and Sons, our hearts are heavy with the news of Roy’s passing. We send our deepest condolences to you guys and praying for Gods comfort to all during this difficult time.
    Roy will certainly be missed by all.
    Gary & Mary Jones
    .

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  4. I feel like anyone who was lucky enough to have even met Roy (feels weird calling him that, he’s Pop) knows what a loss this is. I was fortunate enough to have been taken into his orbit via his amazing daughter Lindsay— that’s how I was introduced to his caring, beaming, wonderful personality and being. He freely called me his “second daughter” and I have always worn that title with so much gratitude and pride. Your Amberine will always love and miss you, Pop.

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  5. My name is Herbert Massie and I work as an evaluator since 2019. I was new to the FEMA world but not to nuclear power. Roy was assigned to me to help me make the transition to an evaluator. Roy helped me a lot to understand what the role was on my first assignment on Surry in July 2019. I am eternally grateful for Roy’s advice on this and several other exercises. He was able to explain to me in simple terms what my true role was which is a test of a true expert.

    I deemed him SENIOR MENTOR. Over time I needed him less and less and only asked his advice on new areas that I had never worked on before. I did not get to know Roy on a personal level but learned a lot about him o the Sept 25 memorial.

    I offer my sincere condolences to his family inclduing his wife and kids and grandkids.

    Yours in Christ,
    Herb

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  6. To Roy’s family – It was an honor to know Roy and be his friend. He taught me so much. I will miss our talks. Thank you for sharing him with us evaluators. He is such a blessing to me. You will always be in my prayers.

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  8. I had the privilege to have worked with Roy for the past two years. He was always a bright spot, bringing positivity and optimism even when things got stressful. As a newer member to the work group, he was one of the people that made me feel like I was part of the team and supported me. I am proud and honored to have worked with him! Our last conversation will always make me giggle, and he will continue to be a bright spot in my day.

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  9. Roy was a true gentleman and the consummate professional. His kindness and sense of humor will be missed! Sending prayers and positive thoughts to Roy’s family and friends.

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  10. Roy was a mentor on how we can work together to build a better future. From disaster response to contract work for FEMA, a better program was about building the capabilities of the people involved. When we talked about the people who lost homes in a Houston flood, and the response decisions, the pain of loss was real for him. Roy believed that our ability to partner with each other to work as a team had real world consequences. I am grateful that I have two large oak trees in my backyard, the result of some acorns Roy gave me ten years ago, to remember Roy’s belief that we could all grow and become something more.

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  11. Every evaluator knew Roy and it seemed that we were all connected through him. He had such a profound influence on so many coworkers! He talked about his family and his desire to keep providing for them on every exercise. He loved his family so much! I am proud to have been a part of his “work family”.

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  12. Roy was so much more than a colleague and mentor—over nearly 20 years, he became a dear friend. He was one of the biggest champions of my career, but what I’ll remember most is how deeply he cared about the people in his life. He never ended a conversation without asking about Ben and reminding me, in one way or another, that family mattered most.

    I will miss our conversations, our laughter, and, of course, our many trips for ice cream. I’m incredibly grateful our paths crossed all those years ago and for every memory we made along the way.

    You are missed my dear friend. Until we meet again. ❤️

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  13. How can I possibly express my love for Roy? What’s there NOT to love? He always made David and I feel welcome to his home. How do you make a momma love you? By loving your child. Roy always lifted up Erik to us. Roy was so helpful and generous to Erik and Lindsay. We are so thankful for having known him. His example of loving his wife was a walking testimony of how a marriage should and could be. It’s impossible to talk about Roy without talking about Pam. He called her Pammy and their relationship was beautiful to behold. ❤️
    Although his years on earth were many, he truly has left us all way too soon. Hard working, loving, kind, welcoming, jovial and super sweet are words that describe Roy. I still cannot believe he is gone and in heaven with his Savior. For that, we rejoice with him. For us, we will miss him everyday. We will see you in heaven Roy❣️

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  14. Roy was my Mentor and my friend. I’m so grateful for his many years of hands on teaching that allowed me to grow as an evaluator. May his family know that he was always a gentleman in his daily walk and he never failed to make your situation a little brighter. Thanks to his Pammy and the rest of the family for sharing him with us…He will be missed ✝️

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