Rev. Edmond "Eddie" E. Smith

Services for Rev. Edmond “Eddie” Earl Smith, age 88, of Tyler will be held on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 3pm at First Baptist Church Tyler with Rev. Pike Wisner and Dr. David Stubblefield officiating. Burial will follow at Cathedral in the Pines. Visitation will be prior to the service at 2pm, under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Eddie passed away on Monday, May 27, 2024, in Tyler. He was born on February 5, 1936, to Walter and Nellie Smith in Hearne, Texas. After graduating early from Hearne High School in 1953, he moved to Tyler, where he became the Minister of Music at Queen Street Baptist Church. He attended Tyler Junior College and was in the Apache Marching Band. Eddie then attended Baylor University, graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor of Music. He earned a Master of Church Music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1968. During these years, he served faithfully at churches in Tyler, Mart, Bryan, Kilgore, Grapevine, Richland Hills, and Greenville. While music was Eddie’s vocational calling, he was a true shepherd of the flock wherever he was called, and so many have been impacted by him as a friend, counselor, and pastor. In 1956, while serving at Queen Street Baptist Church, Eddie married the love of his life, Lois Langley, and together they had five children, 19 grandchildren, and 35 great-grandchildren. This August, Eddie and Lois would have celebrated 68 years of marriage. Eddie was preceded in death by his parents, sister, and three brothers. He is survived by his wife, Lois, his children Melody (Michael) Berryhill of Plano, Mariann (Rickey) Hassell of Tyler, Marsha (Don) Cook of Flint, Eddie Jr. (Dee) Smith of Tyler, and Mindy (Jeffrey) Hamilton of Gilmer. Pallbearers will be his grandsons, Aaron Berryhill, Eddie Smith, III, David Cook, Christian Smith, Jonathan Cook, Andrew Hassell, Nicholas Hamilton. Honorary pallbearers will be all of his granddaughters, Candi Watters, Michah Casper, Sarah Clarkson, Meghan Finley, Rebecca Robinson, Mallory McDonald, Lexie Hood, Elizabeth Hamilton, Lela Hamilton, and Laney Hamilton. The following was a letter written by our beloved Daddy to his children on his 87th birthday in 2023: “I am 87 and on the way to Heaven!!! I thank God for calling me into the ministry as a "Teen-Ager". (I led many revivals around the Hearne area even in my teens) I can't begin to express how I miss it. One year when I was at Queen Street I led the music in 8 revivals. I am grateful today for the many churches He allowed me to serve – my home church of Hearne, Queen Street in Tyler, First Baptist in Mart, Emmanuel Baptist in Bryan, First Baptist in Kilgore, First Baptist in Grapevine, Richland Hills Baptist in Ft. Worth, and Ridgecrest Baptist in Greenville. There were many disappointments, hurts and sorrows, but I choose to remember the tremendous blessings. I just pray that I had a positive impact on some lives along the way. I am proud to say that at Ridgecrest I was able to build a strong Music and Youth Ministry and many friends. I am so very proud of each of you and while Mother did a great job of raising you, I just pray that I had a positive influence on your life. I could "brag" more, but I guess I had better stop. I love each of you... YOUR DAD.”

Rev. Edmond "Eddie" E. Smith

February 5, 1936 - May 27, 2024