Robert Dale Smith, 94, of Grinnell, Iowa passed away on Friday, April 9, 2021, at the Mayflower Community Health Care Center. Due to several Covid-19 restrictions, Mass of the Resurrection will be held privately by the family at 11:00 am on Friday, April 16, 2021, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Grinnell. The service will be live streamed on the Smith Funeral Home Facebook page beginning at 10:45 am. Interment will be in Hazelwood Cemetery in Grinnell. A scripture service will be held at 3:30 pm on Thursday in the Heritage Room of the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. A public visitation will be held from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Thursday evening at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell. Memorial contributions may be designated to St. Mary Catholic Church or to the Mayflower Community Human Needs Fund, mailed in care of the Smith Funeral Home, PO Box 368, Grinnell, IA 50112. Condolences may be shared online with Bob's family at www.smithfh.com. Robert Dale Smith was born on September 26, 1926, in Grinnell, Iowa to Orville Dale and Florence (Henderson) Smith. He was raised in Grinnell and graduated from Grinnell High School with the Class of 1944. Bob was active in the Cooper School Drum and Bugle Corp, Boys State, the Boy Scouts, theatre, band, track & field and was president of his senior class. He also played trombone in local dance bands during the Glen Miller era. He attended and graduated from the University of Iowa. During his college years, he played in the University of Iowa Band and he pursued a passion to learn to fly and he enjoyed flying his Piper Cherokee for many years. His father encouraged him to pursue a career in funeral service and he later graduated from the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. He returned to Grinnell and assisted his father, and later with his brother, Eugene with the operation of the Smith Furniture Company and the Smith Funeral Home, which also operated the Smith Ambulance Service in Poweshiek County. Bob was later joined by his sons, John and Bill as well as his grandsons, Joel, Jeff and Rob in the family business. He was one of nine family members to become funeral directors and serve the Grinnell and Victor communities. On July 18,1951, he was united in marriage to Bette Wallace at St. John's Catholic Church in Gilmore City, Iowa. Bette and Bob made their home in Grinnell, where Bette was an elementary school teacher at Parker and Davis schools. They became the parents of five children, John, David, Nancy, William, and Mary. Besides a busy career, he found time to support his children in their extracurricular activities and encouraged each of them to pursue an education and career. Later in life, Bob reunited with his childhood friend, Jean Lefler. The couple spent many happy years in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Following Jean's death, he returned to Grinnell and made his home at the Mayflower Community. Bob was a long-time member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Grinnell, the Kiwanis Club, the Grinnell Country Club, the Grinnell Alumni Association, and was very active in many civic activities. Professionally, he was a member of National Selected Morticians, the National Funeral Directors Association, and the Iowa Funeral Directors Association. He had many highlights in his life such as travel, attending Iowa Hawkeye football and basketball games and attending the Master's Golf Tournament. Bob is survived by his children, John (Kathy) Smith of West Des Moines, IA, Dr. David (Carol) Smith of Grinnell, Nancy (Jeff) Roland of Cedar Rapids, IA, Bill (Sally) Smith of Grinnell, and Mary S. Smith of Johnston, IA; twelve grandchildren, Joel, Ryan, Eric, Grant, Alex Lauren, Scott, Sarah, Jeff, Julie, Rob and Alyssa; and eleven great grandchildren, Taylor, Kaitlyn, Jody, Jacob, Jackson, Gavin, Harper, Sawyer, Lucia, Anya and Vera. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bette; his companion, Jean; his parents; his brother and sister-in-law, Eugene and Darlene Smith; and his brothers-in-law, Dick (Joan) Wallace and Tom (Beverly) Wallace.