Ronald Smith Sr. was born September 25, 1944, at Cleveland City      Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio to the late, Eddie Smith and Mildred Marshall Smith. He was raised with love and adoration by his grandparents, the late Ernest Smith Sr. and Lucy Lee Smith, after the passing of his mother.  He attended John Adams High School in Cleveland, Ohio.  Ronald married Loretta Mitchell-Smith on May 23, 1981.

Ronald enjoyed life, and loved his family, friends and those he mentored; he never met a stranger.  Ronald Smith Sr. was baptized on October 20, 2019 at Zion Apostolic Faith Church in Akron, Ohio. He loved motorcycles, a former member of the Zulu Motorcycle Club; he was also Corvette enthusiast being a member of the 7-11 Corvette Club Akron; as well as an avid pool and dart player. He was referred to affectionately by the young people he mentored as “Coach” or “Pops”.  Ronald also enjoyed chess, martial arts, music, hand dancing and had a soprano    singing voice.  He was a truck driver by trade.

Ronald is preceded in death by his father and mother, Eddie and Mildred Smith; his stepmother, Dorothy Smith; his grandparents, Ernest and Lucy Lee Smith; his daughter, Veronica Smith; and sister, Gloria (James) Boyd.

He is survived by wife, Loretta Mitchell-Smith; son, Ronald (La Toya) Smith Jr.; daughters, Endia Mendez and Rhonda (Troy) Parmer; grandchildren, Destiney Gayle, Ronald Smith III, Mia Smith, Gabriel  Bellamy, Kemar Parmer, Mekhi Parmer and Asha Parmer; siblings, Anthony (Gwendolyn) Smith, Linda Smith-Peterson and Brian (Gloriane) Smith; as well as a host of other relatives and friends.