Ron Smith
Ronald Willis Smith
28 May 1954 - 08 Aug 1995
Clubs & Associations
Sun Coast Wranglers
Wilde Bunch
Quick Facts
- instructor for Sun Coast Wranglers
GCA Caller School
- attended 1993
Obituary
RONALD WILLIS SMITH, 41, of Tampa died Tuesday. A native of Birmingham, Ala., he moved to Tampa in 1986 from Albuquerque. He was organist/choir master at First United Methodist Church of St. Petersburg, Apostles Lutheran Church of Brandon, Holy Innocents Episcopal Church of Valrico and St. Clement's Episcopal Church of Tamps and founding member of the Suncoast Wranglers and the Tampa Bay Gay Men's Chorus where he served as accompanist and performer. Neptune Society, St. Petersburg.[1]
SMITH — Ronald Willis Smith of Tampa, FL died August 8, 1995 at the age of 41. Born in Birmingham, AL, he was a resident of Albuquerque from 1977-1985. He graduated from the University of Mississippi with a B.A. in Music and was member of Phi Kappa Phi. He completed an M.A. in Music at Colorado State College. While living in Albuquerque, he was organist/choir director at St. Aidan's Episcopal Church and taught a private piano studio. Other activities included Scottish dancing; performing with the Southwest Ballet Company; and Square dancing and calling. After moving to Tampa, he served as choir master/organist for several churches in the Bay area; founded the Tampa Bay Gay Men's Chorus; and founded the Suncoast Wranglers square dance club. Survivors include many loving friends. Memorial services in Tampa on Saturday, September 15 at 2:00 .m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in his memory to Tampa AIDS Network, 1121 N. Nebraska Ave., Suite B-3, Tampa, FL 33612.[2]
Memorial Panel
Remembrances
The Ron Smith I knew only lived in Albuquerque, then Tampa in the time I knew him. Formerly a ballet dancer, he was in my WB class that started September 1983. He was part of our Flying Squares performance team for a time, helping tighten up our choreography.
I don't remember all the details, but sometime in the late 80s, he moved to the Tampa area and was very involved in MCC there. I believe he was a church musician. At some point, he wanted to start a square dance group and had some success as a leader/instructor. I knew he became ill at some point and passed away. It must have been not that long after the Seattle '93 convention, but again, other than us talking on the phone about club formation several times, and how to find a caller for their group, we weren't super close.
— Bill Eyler
Photos
1993
At the first Wilde Bunch fly-in. Ron Smith is sitting in the middle, with Gerry Warner to Bill Eyler's right, and with the 10 gallon hat, Jim Rospopo, who designed and built the Wilde Bunch banner that still exists today. Photo courtesy of Bill Eyler.
Obituary (The Tampa Tribune)
Obituary (Albuquerque Journal)
