Robert Blaine Smith
January 4, 1954 - February 17, 2026
Robert Blaine Smith was welcomed home by his heavenly father on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer. He passed peacefully into eternal life surrounded by his loving family. He was 72.
Blaine was born on January 4, 1954, to Robert Allen Smith and Olga Jean (Knoohuizen) Smith in Plainview, TX, where he lived for most of his life. The youngest of three, and the only boy, Blaine was adored by his parents and two older sisters, Cindi and Lisa. He inherited a love of cars from his father, and as a high schooler, spent his spare time driving his Austin Healey ''bugeye'' Sprite and motorcycle through the alleys and back roads of Plainview. He enjoyed camping, hiking, and was active in Boy Scouts, achieving the highest honor of Eagle Scout. He served as student body president during his final year at Plainview High School.
Blaine met the love of his life, Patricia Daffern, when they were young children. They were sweethearts in the second grade, and later, at age 18, they fell in love. Together they attended Baylor University in Waco, TX, where Blaine majored in business and was an active member of the Circle K fraternity. When he wasn't studying, which was often, he and his fraternity brothers relished any opportunity to pull pranks on campus. Their crowning achievement was stealing a rival fraternity's Homecoming parade float and driving it onto the steps of Pat Neff Hall, leaving it to be discovered in the morning.
Pat and Blaine were married on July 5, 1975, in Plainview. They loved the Lord and one another deeply throughout their 50 years of marriage and were blessed with three children, Erin, Jeana, and Patrick.
Pat and Blaine spent many years enjoying family celebrations and trips, countless sporting events, recitals, and school plays for their children, and serving their church and their community. In addition to a lifelong career as a Certified Public Accountant, Blaine volunteered his time and financial acumen to various civic organizations, including the Plainview Symphony and the Plainview Hale County Industrial Foundation. He was a fixture in the Plainview community and served as a member of nearly every committee at First Baptist Church Plainview. Later in life, after moving to Greenville to be closer to family, he was active at Crosspoint Fellowship Church in Greenville, serving on the building and finance committees. He and Pat enjoyed many trips together, including their last, in October 2025, to witness God's creativity on display in the fall foliage of New England.
Blaine excelled in his profession and shone in his community service, but his greatest joy was being a father and grandfather. He cherished his relationships with his son and daughters, and he adored his grandchildren. Despite living hours away when they were very young, Blaine rarely missed the chance to celebrate a grandchild's birthday, attend a dance recital, or sweat through a ball game. He absorbed himself in their interests and loved them all fiercely.
Blaine was universally adored for his easy smile, consistent kindness, and quirky sense of humor. Rare was the occasion when an interaction with him didn't include a good, wholesome joke. He navigated considerable hardship throughout his life, including the sudden and tragic loss of his father when Blaine was only 22 years old, followed by the death of his sister, Cindi, in 1994. But despite these tragedies, Blaine remained steadfast in his love for and faith in the Lord. Perhaps his most enduring characteristic and the cornerstone of his legacy, Blaine's strong belief in Jesus as his Savior was the throughline of his life. He shared his faith with nearly anyone who would listen, and this loving, authentic desire for others to know the love of Christ undoubtedly saved lives on this side of heaven.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Jean, and his sister, Cindi. He is survived by his faithful and devoted wife, Pat; his children, Erin (Smith) Galyean and husband Brad; Jeana (Smith) Grimes and husband Justin; and Patrick Smith and wife Anne; his sister, Lisa (Smith) Shepelwich and husband Jim; grandchildren, Elizabeth Galyean, Nathan Galyean, Sophie Smith, Sutton Smith, Sawyer Smith, Madison Grimes Collier, Kennedi Grimes, and Kaiden Grimes; and many nieces, nephews, and lifelong friends.
A memorial service will be held on Monday, February 23 at 10 a.m. at Crosspoint Fellowship Church in Greenville, TX, followed by a service at First Baptist Church Plainview on Tuesday, February 24, at 1 p.m. in Plainview, TX. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Crosspoint Fellowship Church, 2401 Jack Finney Blvd., Greenville, TX 75402, or to Raffa, PO Box 9325, Greenville, TX 75404. Coker-Mathews Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Obituary Provided By:
5100 Interstate 30 (at US-69)
Greenville, TX 75402
www.coker-mathews.com
903.455.4110
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