Albert Sidney Smith

Albert Sidney Smith, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at the age of 101. He was at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Bossier City, LA.

Born on October 18, 1923, in Old Sparta, Bienville Parish, LA, Sidney’s faith was a cornerstone of his life. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Redeemer and Savior and was baptized in a freshwater spring that bubbled up from the ground in Bienville Parish.

Growing up on a self-sustaining farm, Sidney developed a strong work ethic and a wide range of interests. As a teenager, his accomplishments in 4-H garnered him a full scholarship in Agriculture at Louisiana State University. However, he opted to serve his country and proudly dedicated four years to the military during World War II.

A man of both strength and wit, he took up boxing as a youth to defend himself from bullies. He excelled at the sport, making it to the Heavyweight Navy finals as an amateur before “getting tired of getting peppered on the nose by other men’s fists.” Sidney later served as a dedicated firefighter by trade.

His passions were many and varied. He was a master gardener who won the Extra-Large Garden Contest in Bienville Parish in 1998, an avid beekeeper who generously gave away all his honey to family and friends. Sidney was a lifelong fitness fanatic, running for miles and doing daily pushups and pull-ups, which culminated in him completing a 26.2-mile marathon at age 68. In later years, he became a dedicated mall walker, always striving to walk longer and faster than anyone else.

Above all, Sidney was a Godley man and a devoted family man. His children loved and respected him, looking up to him throughout their lives. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Betty Ruth Cole; his parents, Clyde James Smith and Laura Towns Smith; and his siblings, Melvin, C.J, and Jimmy Smith.

He is survived by his children, Gail Heron and her husband, Kenneth Heron, Greg Smith and his wife, Monette and Scott Smith and his wife, Jane. He is also survived by his siblings, Don Smith, Gloria Bramlett, Martha Sue Goodnight, Anna Laurie McCleish, and Rudolph Smith, as well as many cherished grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Graveside services with Military Honors will be held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the Williamson Cemetery in Bienville Parish, with Chaplain Randy Goudeau presiding. A reception will immediately follow at the home of Alvin and Gloria Bramlett in Arcadia, LA.