Ralph Dewayne Smart

Beloved husband, father, and friend, Ralph Dewayne Smart, 85, of Noblesville, Indiana, passed away on May 19, 2026 from the effects of heart and kidney failure.

Dewayne was born in Madera, California to Ralph Wayne Smart and Beatrice Emily Winn. He graduated from Livingston High School in Livingston, California. As a youth, Dewayne worked in fruit orchards before joining the United States Navy, where he worked as a barber aboard the U.S.S. Ranger. After leaving the Navy, he attended and graduated from Moler Barber College in Fresno, California.

In March 1971, Dewayne enlisted in the United States Air Force and eventually retired from Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah, in 1988. Following his Air Force retirement, Dewayne moved his family to Quincy, Illinois, where he worked for Facilities Management of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until retiring in 1993. Then, for many years, Dewayne was a familiar figure around Quincy as he served as a school crossing guard with the Quincy Police Department.

Dewayne married Catherine Brocksmith on October 4, 1983, in the Washington, D.C. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They met and fell in love in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he had been stationed with the Air Force. Throughout their marriage, they were best friends as well as sweethearts. His laughter and sweet spirit will be greatly missed by those who survive him including his wife, Cathy, and seven children: Tambra (Steve) Moser of Grand Junction, Colorado, Robin (Bo) Noakes of Cumming, Georgia, Timothy (Brenda) Smart of Bryan, Texas, Kelly (Henry) Castro of Cumming, Georgia, Kari Simonds of Dawsonville, Georgia, Katie (Jeff) Browning of Carmel, Indiana, and Amy (Charla) Smart of Indianapolis, Indiana. He especially cherished the love of his twelve grandchildren, Anthony, Alexander, Ayden, Miaya, Noah, Colby, Jacob, John, Michael, Gary, Abigail, and Atticus, as well as his six great-grandchildren, Malcolm, Joey, Nicolas, Marcus, Aleni, and Zayden. Dewayne is also survived by his brothers, Jack and Gary Smart, both of Port Angeles, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Randy Smart.

Dewayne was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout his life and served in many callings over the years, including as a scoutmaster. In 2016, he and Cathy were called to serve a Church Service Mission for LDS Family Services, something they greatly enjoyed doing.

Dewayne loved all types of sports, especially football, but he will be best remembered by many for his infectious laugh, quick wit, and playful sense of humor. Throughout his life, he loved traveling, taking pictures, and collecting things that caught his interest. In retirement, he especially loved getting out of the house, wandering through stores, watching YouTube videos, and spending time with his family. More than anything, he loved cheering on the people he loved and watching them succeed, often while eating a big piece of cake covered in milk.

His memory will continue to live on through the many stories, laughs, and moments shared with those who loved him.

Memorial services will be held Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 10:30 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 11257 Temple Drive, Carmel, IN 46032. Later he will be interred in Greenmount Cemetery, Quincy, Illinois.

Condolences: www.randallroberts.com