as i had intended it

An obituary for one beloved is difficult to write...

but also difficult to read when it is misrepresented.

The one that was printed in the Savannah Morning News yesterday had all the lines run together, right on top of each other, with no photograph of him.

That was not how I had written it.

The second draft, the one approved by his daughter and his son, was composed as a free-style poem that celebrated the man he was, the man we loved, warts and all.

Families First has it printed in accordance with that, including a picture of him at Carey Hilliard's, with his fried shrimp platter, in 2014 for his birthday meal.

My heartfelt thanks for that.

Here it is, for me, for all.

* * * * *     * * * * *     * * * * *

Ronald Allen Smith

May 13, 2021

Ronald Allen Smith, 58, died of lung cancer on May 8, 2021.

A native of Savannah, GA, he was a jack of several trades, with much of his life spent in the HVAC and hardwood flooring business, installing and repairing.

Many knew him by the nickname he gave himself: RAS, spoken as if it had a series of “z”s on the end.

He was always up for a good joke, a cold beer, and a rousing action movie, with a ready smile for all.

He was a man who experienced life on his own terms, as all who knew him will attest.

The way to best honor his memory is to raise a toast with your favorite beverage; either sweet tea or beer would please him greatly.

He is survived by his sister, Faustina Smith; his brother, Harvey (Mary) Smith; his brother, Anthony (Laura) Smith; his daughter, Christina Smith, and two grandchildren, Miyah and Chloe; and his son, Michael Smith, and two grandchildren, Leila and Alyssa.

His request to be cremated is being honored by Families First Funeral Care, with a private celebration of life. 

www.familiesfirstcare.com