Ricky Lee Smith, age 63, of Springfield, TN, passed away on November 2, 2026, leaving behind a legacy as vast as the open highways he traveled. Known to everyone as the coolest guy you’d ever meet, he was a man who lived life in the fast lane, but always had time for the people he loved.
For 40 years, he made his living as a long-haul truck driver, crossing through every single continental state. This man has driven more miles backing up a trailer than most people ever manage to drive forward in their entire lives! He possessed an incredible work ethic, using his decades on the road to protect, provide for, and support his family with fierce devotion.
When he wasn’t behind the wheel of a big rig, he was chasing his passions. A self-taught musician who could play anything from the trombone to the drums, to the guitar with a deep love for music, he famously cried the day Elvis died and spent countless hours playing songs for anyone who would listen. He was a natural dancer who could two-step, moonwalk, or boogie his way right into your heart. Fascinated by aviation, he earned his pilot’s license and spent hours flying his own Cessna 150 and his Ultralight as well as RC airplanes, always joking that he had missed his true calling by not joining the Air Force. He loved the freedom of riding motorcycles, possessed the rare skill to fix absolutely anything that broke, and was a massive cut-up who dedicated himself to making people laugh.
More than the miles he logged, the planes he flew, or the songs he played, his greatest masterpiece was the love he gave to his family. He loved his family with all of his heart.
He is survived by his precious mother, Frances Smith; his beloved daughter, who will always be his little girl, Felicia Butler, and her spouse Bradley Butler; and his grandchildren, Phoebe Butler, Payton Butler, and Benjamin Butler, with whom he shared an exceptionally close and special bond. He is also survived by his daughter, Stephanie Gamble and her spouse Matthew Gamble; his sons, Joshua Smith and his spouse Sandy Smith, and Patrick Sanders; his grandchildren, Brandon Etherly and his spouse Mackensie Etherly, Nichole Ensley and her spouse Johnny Ensley, Lacedes Smith, and Kaiden Sanders; and his great-grandchildren, Levi Etherly and Adam Ensley.
He leaves behind his siblings, Jerry Smith and his wife Becky Smith, David Smith and his wife Dana Smith, and Brenda Whiting and her husband Bobby Whiting; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, all of which he loved. He was preceded in death by his father, Clifford Smith.
Funeral services will be conducted Monday November 9th at 1:00 p.m. in the Oakhurst Chapel of the Robertson County Funeral Home with Pastor Jon Briggs officiating. Interment will follow in the Oakland Cemetery with Bradley Butler, Payton Butler, Benjamin Butler, Matt Poole, David Smith, and Patrick Sanders serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Bobby Whiting and Jerry Smith. The family will receive friends on Monday from 10:00 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.
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This obituary was published by Robertson County Funeral Home.
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