Rodney Eugene Smith

Rodney Eugene Smith, 67, of Olathe, Kansas, passed away on Sunday, November 6, 2022. He was born on September 9, 1955 in Smith Center, Kansas to Harley and Cleora (Bliss) Smith.

Rodney grew up in Osborne, KS he was on the wrestling team and in band. Rodney enjoyed the small town life running around with his twin brother Roger and little brother Rick and working at the town grocery store. The three of them spent countless hours in the summers at the Osborne City pool. He graduated from Osborne High School in 1973. His mother and father were very proud of him, and he was thankful for the loving home and life he had growing up.

He always knew he wanted to be a Pharmacist and attended the University of Kansas Pharmacy School graduating in 1978. His first job as a pharmacist was at Dillon's Pharmacy in Lawrence on Massachusetts street.
Work took him to many towns in Kansas as a Pharmacist. In 1981 he was working at the Dillons Pharmacy in Salina, KS when he met his soon to be wife, Roxanne, at a Dillon's picnic. She worked at another Dillons in Salina, where he came in to ask Roxanne out for the first time for a ride on his motorcycle.

The two were married in 1982 in Salina at the Grand Avenue United Methodist Church. They welcomed their first son, Christopher in 1984 in Lawrence, KS. In 1988, they welcomed their daughter, Abby in Lawrence, KS. They made Lawrence their home and Rodney opened the Medicine Shoppe on Massachusetts Street.

Life took them to Hutchinson, KS in 1991 where Rodney owned the Medicine Shoppe on Main Street. They raised their children in Hutchinson until Abby graduated Highschool in 2007, when they made their way back to Lawrence where both Chris and Abby attended his alma mater Kansas University, which made Rodney so proud. Chris went on to get his PhD in Chemistry from University of Minnesota and is the head of a lab in the Kansas City area. Abby went on to become a Dental Hygienist and has furthered her career in Dental software technology.

Rodney touched many lives and filled many scripts over the years, and had heart warming stories about the many people that touched his life in pharmacy. Rodney worked up until the day he passed as a remote pharmacy consultant for a non profit, Family Healthcare Center in Kansas City, KS. His passion became helping the underserved and he was able to give back by helping to start 340B Pharmacies for the uninsured.

Rodney was an avid golfer up until he got pancreatic cancer. He has fond memories golfing with his father Harley, son Chris, brother Roger and nephews Jared, Ryan and Andrew and his lifelong Salina golf buddies. Rodney had 2 impressive hole in one's throughout his golfing career.

Rodney was a die hard Kansas Jayhawk fan, loved all things basketball and football at KU. He loved his Chiefs, and grew a love for the Oklahoma State Cowboys after his daughter Abby married her husband Derek that ran cross country and track there.

Rodney was so proud of Chris's wife Linh, becoming a pharmacist in his footsteps at KU.

Rodney followed his dad Harley's footsteps to become a Mason and was a Master Mason of the Masonic temple in Hutchinson, KS.

Rodney was a jokester, could never remember the entire joke when he repeated it, which made his family and friends laugh even harder, he was often the brunt of jokes and that's the way he liked it!

Rodney was the grandpa that got down on the ground with his grandkids and would sit and play with them for hours. One of Abby and Chris's fondest memories as children was Rodney telling them his own version of jack and the beanstalk as a bedtime story. It always ended in laughter and tears the way he told it.

Rodney could not wait to be with his mother, Cleora in heaven. He talked about her every day.

Rodney is survived by his father, Harley Smith of Osborne, KS; loving wife, Roxanne Smith, children, Chris (Linh & Aiden) Smith; Abby (Derek, Lucy & Drew) Tate, all of Olathe, KS. Brother, Roger (Neta, Amanda, Jared, Mark, Graham, Elia, Molly) Smith of Topeka, KS; Brother, Rick (Dee, Ryan, Holly, Andrew, Nomi, Tanner, Sammy, Heidi, Presley, Violet, Hadley, Penelope, Archie) Smith of Hays, Leawood, Prairie Village, Lawrence, KS.

He was preceded in death by his dear mother, Cleora Smith.

A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, November 12, 2022, at Assembly of God Church, 115 S Oak St, Osborne, KS 67473.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Rodney's memory be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network of Kansas City, we have created a team for the Kansas City Purple Stride on April 23rd 2023, donations can be made to the team to benefit the Kansas City Pancreatic Cancer Network by clicking here.




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