Robert Paul Smith

Robert Paul Smith (Bob), 80, of West Fargo, passed away on February 18, 2019, at Sanford Hospital in Fargo. He was born February 6, 1939, in Fargo, ND to Dr. Glenn and Doris Smith. His parents both graduated from NDSU and his father worked as a wheat breeder in the agronomy department and became Dean of Graduate School for many years. He was their youngest child and is survived by his sister Nancy and brother Ron.
Bob graduated from Fargo Central High School in 1956 and received his BS in Mechanical Engineering from NDSU in 1961.
He began his career in the aerospace industry working for 13 years in East Hartford, CT, Rockford, IL, and Phoenix, AZ. He also worked as a design engineer for a truck and trailer business in Phoenix. It was in Phoenix where he fell in love with the Arizona desert.
Bob always had a desire to own and operate his own business and developed several in his lifetime: Idea Machine, Building & Grounds Management, Cactus Metal Works and All Lawn Care were among the best of them.
He was a very hard worker and especially enjoyed working in his shop. He loved anything with a motor and would always be repairing, rebuilding and redesigning old engines, especially for old cars, mowers and the like. He could often be found sketching or drafting new ideas for anything he could imagine. Many drawings and designs of potential equipment and buildings could be found throughout his home.
Bob left Arizona and returned to his hometown of Fargo in 2002 to continue his trailer design and manufacturing business, his lawn maintenance business, and to be near his family.
Bob had a fascination with old clocks & watches, antique cars, old coins, and antique stores. His favorite part of the flea markets in Phoenix was the “junk” sections. Art made of rusty metal made him smile. Bob’s greatest love was the Arizona desert. He owned 40 acres in northern Arizona and loved hiking, surveying the land, checking for rocks and artifacts, locating animal tracks, and admiring mountains and the nearby painted desert. When he wasn’t at his ranch, he was dreaming of being there and always planning his next trip. He was often checking his ranch out on Google Earth and many photos of his land could be found around his home.
Bob was married to Kay (Ekblad) Smith for 59 years, and is survived by his children: sons Tim Smith, Dan (Sue) Smith, daughter Cheri Alexander, and son-in-law Dan DesSaint as well as his 6 grandchildren: Carly and Jordan DesSaint, Stephanie and Brian Smith, and Kyle and Jessica Alexander. He was preceded in death by his infant son David Andrew Smith, and his daughter Christi Lynn DesSaint, 41, and parents Glenn and Doris Smith.