Johnny C. Smith, 90, of Ruidoso, New Mexico, passed away at his home, on Friday, September 1, 2023, with his wife, Mary, and his son, James, by his side. A “Celebration of his Life” will be held with a graveside service on Saturday, September 30, 2023, at 10:30am at Oakwood Cemetery, 200 Front Street, Cisco, Eastland County, Texas.
Johnny was born in Cisco, Texas in 1933 to John Thomas and Lillie Odessa Moss Smith. He was the eighth and last surviving of nine siblings. He was a 1951 Cisco Lobo graduate. He served in the Korean Conflict and was a Disabled Navy Veteran. After returning home, whileworking two jobs, he enrolled at Abilene Christian College and graduated with a Bachelors of Education Degree in 1962. He started his first teaching job at Rotan Junior High School wherehe taught math for two years. In 1964, along with the Abilene Christian College Exodus, he taught math in West Babylon Junior High and East Islip High School, Long Island, New York forfour years. In 1968, he taught upper level math for two years at Hale Center High School, nearLubbock, Texas. Then in 1970, he taught math at Abilene High School, in Abilene, Texas.
While teaching at Abilene High School, he acquired his Master’s Degree in Counseling fromAbilene Christian College. He retired from AISD as a Vocational Adjustment Coordinator and worked a total of thirty-two years in education.
