Funeral services for Burlin D. Smith, age 90, of Brownwood, Texas will be held 10:30 AM Saturday, July 30, 2016 at Heartland Funeral Home with Rev. Russell Williams and Rev. J.A. McDaniel officiating. Interment will follow in Eastlawn Memorial Park. The family will receive friends 6:00 – 7:00 PM Friday at the funeral home.
On May 1, 1948, Burlin married the love of his life, Claudia Hoover in Brady, Texas and to that marriage was born Treva Matthaei, Sharon Gotcher and Burlin Doyle Smith, Jr. He was a dedicated Christian man, who loved the Lord first and foremost, and had been a faithful member of Faith Baptist Church since 1969, when he moved his family to Brownwood. He soon began working at 3M in the Mix & Mill as a color corrector and retired after twenty years.
Burlin Doyle Smith, Sr. had previously been the Director of Child Evangelism Fellowship, Inc. for a number of years in San Antonio, Texas. Child Evangelism Fellowship is an organization whose sole purpose is to reach un-churched children for Christ. He was later the Director of Child Evangelism over Kerr County. After having moved to Brownwood, He became one of the very active men who delivered the gospel to prisoners in Brown County.
Burlin had few interests in life other than winning souls to Christ and working outside in his garden or pecan trees. He was a man who didn’t particularly enjoy small talk, and if he was talking it would ordinarily be about the Bible or his garden and pecan trees. His favorite Bible verse was John 3:16, which he quoted to members of his family in a whisper just days before he went to his Home…he was just passing through to his final destination. He went home to Jesus on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 in Brownwood.
Survivors include his loving wife of sixty eight years, Claudia Smith; daughters Treva Matthaei and husband Jack; Sharon Gotcher and husband Billy; son Burlin Doyle Smith, Jr.; sister Bertha Lou Hrochovy and husband Bill; brothers Roy Lon Smith and wife Wanda, Maylon Richard Smith and wife Deloris. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Mark Gotcher, John Thomas Smith, Kristi Lyn Huxford, Chad Alan Smith, Mary Solis, Becky Contreras, D.J. Rios and Franklin Doyle Smith, along with great grandchildren Gabriel Gotcher, Aden and Avery Solis, Shooter Huxford, Eli and Eden Contreras, Levi, Carter and Rylee Smith. His ex-daughters-in-law, Vicki Wheeler and husband George; and Patti Daniel and her husband, Blane, were also loved by him and continued to be part of the family. Numerous nieces and nephews also survive him.
He was preceded in death by his parents, George Boyd and Letha Vera Smith; brothers, Rex, Vernon, Amiel, Robert and Billy Clyde Smith and sisters, Zetha Mae Ketchum and Etta Fay Cornell.
Online condolences may be left for the family at www.heartlandfuneralhome.net.
