Smith, Pierre's Obituary
Pierre LaVal Smith died peacefully at home in Tulsa on Saturday November 29th, 2025 at the age of 90. Pierre was born June 24, 1935 in Okoboji, Iowa, the second of five children to Byron A. Smith and Estelle (Stella) M. Smith (née Ouillette). He grew up on West Okoboji Lake on a family-owned dairy and summer ice-cream store. Pierre was an active boy who always loved basketball and baseball. He also showed cattle and was active in 4H.
He graduated from Arnolds Park High School in 1954 and headed to Ames Iowa to attend his father’s alma mater, Iowa State University. An injury during a pick-up football game in his first semester sent him to the hospital and then home to recuperate. He met Spirit Lake High School senior Sharon Kay Weaver while working for the Dickinson County Engineer surveying rural property, then moved to California for a job.
A US Army draft notice brought him home in January 1958 where they made plans to marry after basic training in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Pierre and Sharon wed on April 23, 1958. Pierre went on to Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey for ordinance electronics training and Huntsville, Alabama for missile training. Pierre’s permanent duty station was The Presidio, San Francisco, supporting 16 Nike Missile sites in the Bay Area. His brother and best friend, Perry, was also stationed there. The newlyweds lived first in San Rafel and then Alameda. After release from service, the couple returned home and Pierre worked at Consumer Lumber Company managing the kitchen division. Two years later they relocated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for Pierre to attend Augustana College.
Pierre worked his way through school with a milk delivery route. Pierre graduated with his accounting degree and joined IBM, International Business Machines, in 1967, as a Sales Trainee at the Sioux Falls branch office. In this decade Kevin Byron, Keely Ann, Kyle Curtis and Kerry Denise were born. Pierre traveled a great deal with IBM and his career progressed. A 1971 promotion to Regional Finance Industry Specialist at the Chicago Regional Headquarters took the family from Sioux Falls to Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Sixteen months later he was promoted and transferred to Marketing Manager of the IBM branch in Moline, Illinois and they lived across the Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa. Three years later Pierre passed up a promotion and transfer to White Plains, New York and chose a lateral move which brought them all to Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1976. As he supported banks in the area with IBM products, the family grew up.
Three graduated from high school, two married, and three grands were born during this time. An opportunity to join a two-year IBM research and development team took Pierre, Sharon, and Kerry to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1985. He was a Senior Product Planner responsible for a new banking industry product line development. In 1987 Pierre and Sharon returned to Oklahoma, this time to the IBM Tulsa branch. Pierre retired from IBM after twenty-five years in 1991. During his career Pierre achieved five Golden Circles which represent the top 2% of IBM sales representatives.
Twenty of his twenty-five years he earned a place in the 100% Club for achieving his annual sales target. Pierre soon accepted a position as Community Relations and Director of Development for the Tulsa Boys Home where he had been on the Board of Directors since 1987. He left his staff position in 1994 and returned to board service until 2001. Always one to keep learning, Pierre trained to be a Certified Financial Planner and worked for Ameriprise Financial from 1997 to 2007. Throughout the years, Pierre also served on several community service organizations, neighborhood associations, and church committees and missions.
Pierre was a loving and devoted brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Pierre was predeceased by his parents Byron and Stella and brothers Preston and Perry.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Sharon, and a large and loving family: sisters Peggy Jones, Pamela Cooney and sister-in-law Sue Smith; children Kevin and Stacey Smith, Keely and George James, Kyle and Tonya Smith, Kerry and Miguel Cardiel; grandchildren Wesley Smith, Sean and Angela Smith, Kami and Shannon Shipman, Christopher Smith, Katy and Joshua Baker, Holly and Eric Aranda, Kalyn Cardiel, Arielle Cardiel; and great-grand children Addyson Smith, Kannon Shipman, Ellie Baker, Georgia Shipman, Olivia Smith, Mabrey Baker, Callie Shipman, and Ian Pierre Aranda.
A memorial service will be held at Kirk of the Hills, 4102 East 61st Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 1:30 PM.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Pathways Adult Learning Center at The Kirk (https://pathwaysok.org)
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