Earl Winston Smith

B: OCTOBER 26, 1926
D: JANUARY 4, 2021

Earl Winston Smith departed from this earth to join his wife, Mona, on January 4, 2021. Earl was loved by family and friends, and will always be remembered as a generous, kind-hearted, and supportive father/grandfather, mentor, and counselor, who offered gentle words of wisdom. He will be greatly missed and never forgotten.

Earl was born October 26, 1926 in Brunswick, Vermont, on a farm that had been in the Smith family since the 1750's. It remains in the Smith family today.

After graduating from high school, Earl earned a scholarship to attend a special Officer's School by the US Army at the University of Connecticut at Storrs. However, the program was terminated by the Army because the tide of war shifted in Europe and the need for new officers diminished.

Before World War II ended, he then joined the Coast Guard School and subsequently joined the Merchant Marines to support the war effort and help bring much needed supplies to Europe and return troops home. After the war, he traveled to many places across the globe, delivering commercial goods in the post-war economy. One of his voyages involved a stop in Basra, Iraq where he met geologists and subsequently became interested in petroleum geology. After five years in the maritime service, Earl had saved enough money to attend college. He applied to the University of Oklahoma because of its reputation as one of the leading universities for petroleum geology. He graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Geology, and then went on to earn a Master of Science in Geology. In the first years of his career, in addition to exploring for petroleum, Earl also prospected for uranium and other minerals, launching a unique career in both hard rock and sedimentary geology, exploring for minerals as well as petroleum. One of the peculiar results of his work was the discovery of radioactive cow patties that resulted from cattle grazing on fallout-laden vegetation due to above-ground nuclear testing conducted in Nevada in the 1950's.

Earl's first job as a geologist was in Ardmore, Oklahoma, for Samedan. It was during those years that he met Mona Margaret Wicker, who would become his wife until she passed away in 2010. They moved to Norman when Earl was promoted to District Geologist and helped open the Samedan offices in downtown Oklahoma City. Later, Earl started his own company and successfully explored for oil, gas, and minerals. Some of the fields he discovered were in Central Oklahoma and the wells have continued to produce even to this day. Later, he became President of Siskon Corporation, a mining company that owned mining properties in Nevada, California, Arizona, Colorado and other states. Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Siskon gave Earl the opportunity to do the fieldwork he loved, and to painstakingly examine the rocks as well as the old reports and mining information to gain a better understanding of the earth. After turning the company around into a profitable company, he successfully negotiated the sale of Siskon Corporation to a larger entity, Hanna Mining Company.

Instead of retiring, Earl resumed exploring for petroleum as well as minerals. In his work, he became very interested in quantum mechanics and physics. He had a creative and ingenious mind, which kept him actively engaged with ideas up to the very last days of his life. Earl is a Certified Geologist with the Society of Economic Geologists and also a 60-year member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Earl's passion for rocks, minerals, wildlife, and nature inspired his three children and his five grandchildren (all grandsons), all of whom learned to love and respect the natural world, each in his or her own way. His patience and essential kindness were demonstrated in his devotion to his wife, Mona, and his support of his family and friends. He held strong Christian beliefs that guided him.

Earl is survived by his three children: Susan Nash, Paul Winston Smith (spouse, Bridget), and Elaine Bontempi. He is also survived by his five grandchildren: Michael Nash (spouse, Shandell), Caleb Bontempi (spouse, Brooke), Daniel Smith, Nathan Bontempi, and Samuel Smith. He is also survived by three great-grandchildren: Ethan Nash, Montgomery Nash, and Elizabeth Bontempi.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mona (1932-2010). He was also preceded in death by his brothers Edward, Howard, and Harold, and his sister, Pauline.

Services will be at 2:00 pm at the Noble IOOF Cemetery at the gravesite. Arrangements are being made at the Wilson-Little Funeral Home in Purcell, Oklahoma.