Thomas Edward Smith, Jr.

Visitation and funeral services for Thomas Edward "Tom" Smith Jr., age 55, are scheduled for Wednesday, December 9, 2020. Visitation will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at Kilpatrick's Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Bossier City, Louisiana. A graveside service is to follow at 1:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Cemetery in Bossier City, Louisiana. Tom's uncle, Ricky Nugen, will be officiating. Mr. Smith was born on October 21, 1965 in Wichita Falls, Texas and passed away at his home in Benton, Louisiana on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. After six years of service in the United States Air Force, Tom, began his 24-year long career with Kansas City Southern Railway. First and foremost, Tom loved his wife of 32-years, Carla Ann Smith. Together, they built a family, a home and raised two children and often would say, "we trip, but we always land in a bed of roses." They often travelled as a family, but together enjoyed travelling to Alaska where they hiked Exit Glacier, paraglided off Mount Alyeska, ice repelled near Girdwood, rafted class five rapids and flew around Denali Mountain National Park. Tom was an avid big game hunter, having taken multiple trips with his brother-in-law and best friend, Bill Southard. Together, they hunted Kodiak Island, the Wrangell - St. Elias Mountains, and traveled north of the Arctic Circle in Brook's Range. They floated Beaver Creek in the White Mountain Range and hunted along the Koyukuk River in the Yukon River area. Tom was also a member of the National Sporting Clays Association, having competed in multiple shooting tournaments at Los Paloma, the Shreveport Gun Club, Red Chute Shotgun Club at Barksdale Air Force Base, and Flying Q's Sporting Clays and Event Center. He is preceded in death by his father, Thomas Edward "Pete" Smith, Sr. and sister, Tracy Lynn Stevens. He is survived by his wife of 32-years, Carla Ann Smith; two daughters, Sha Marie "Smith" Cathey and Jenna Lynn Smith of Benton, Louisiana and his mother, Joy Derbalene Smith, of Bossier City, Louisiana. "There aren't enough words in the English language nor enough time in the world to fully describe the amazing man that was my father. He was a man of few words, but had many talents and interests. What you see is what you get - take it or leave it. He had no room for frills or extras; the latest and greatest rarely excited him; and he didn't have a lot of use for filling his entire calendar. He was the type of father that would travel 1,000 miles just to sit with you for three hours in a roadside café and drink jet fuel that was called 'medium roast'. He just wanted to visit. Daddy never saved his, 'I love you's'. He never assumed you knew. He gave the most amazing hugs, followed by words that will never be forgotten: 'I am not done yet.' We were his world." - Sha "I love you daddy." - Jenna The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the medical workers for their exemplary care and extraordinary compassion. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully asks that charitable donations "In memory of Thomas Edward Smith, Jr." be sent to the National Skeet Shooting Association - Youth Shooting Fund, 5931 Roft Road, San Antonio, Texas 78253.