My Uncle Richard passed away this week. My Dad and Uncle Richard were the two in their family who left the small town of Indianola, MS. I did not have many opportunities to spend time with him, but he will be deeply missed. My heart goes out to my extended family.

Richard Arlen Smithhart




Mansfield – Captain Richard Arlen Smithhart, 75, USNR (retired), passed away on Monday, Dec 3, 2007.

Memorial Service: 12:30 pm, Friday, Dec 7, at First United Methodist Church Mansfield. Interment will be at 2:30 at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Visitation: Thursday, Dec 6, (time TBA) at Moore & Sons Funeral Home, 4216 S. Bowen Road, Arlington. Those wishing to honor Richard may send memorials to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

Captain Smithhart was born in Greenville, MS, on Jan 4, 1932, to Robert Lee Smithhart and Evelyn Pickett Smithhart. He entered the Army National Guard in 1948, then attended Mississippi State University. He received his commission and was designated a naval aviator in 1955. Throughout his career in the Navy, Capt Smithhart flew numerous aircraft including the F2H Banshee and the F4D Skyray. He served as a flight instructor at Naval Air Stations Meridian, Jacksonville, and Kingsville. He also served in operations at Key West, the Brooklyn Naval Yard, and NAS Dallas. Capt Smithhart was a catapult and arresting gear officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal based in Norfolk, VA and served on tours with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean.

Later Capt Smithhart joined the Naval Reserve and actively served on planning staffs at NAS Glenview, New Orleans, and at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Captain Smithhart completed his naval career as Executive Officer at NAS Memphis, TN. After retirement, he moved to Mansfield, Texas where became a real estate broker and member of the Tarrant County Appraisal Review Board. He completed his BS degree in Political Science at the University of Texas in Arlington.

Richard Smithhart married Elizabeth Fay Poe of Cleveland, MS and has 2 sons.

Survivors: His wife of 47 years, Elizabeth F. Smithhart, David A. Smithhart; son, William G. Smithhart; son, Robert Lee Smithhart; brother, Leroy Smithhart; brother, John Smithhart; brother, Thomas Smithhart; brother, Yvonne Bennett; sister, Mary Evelyn Smithhart; sister, David Alexander Smithhart; grandson, Veronica Isabel Smithhart; granddaughter, and other family members and loved ones.