William “Bill” Leverne Smith

William “Bill” Leverne Smith of Hollister, Missouri.

William “Bill” Leverne Smith of Hollister, Missouri, passed away June 22, 2024, of natural causes after a short illness.

Bill was born to Delbert “Pete” Leverne Smith and Mary Eileen Kinnick on July 1, 1939. Bill graduated from Coon Rapids High School (IA) in 1957 and was awarded an Air Force ROTC scholarship. In 1961, he received a B.S. in Mathematics from Iowa State University. On August 7, 1957, Bill married Nancy Ruth Bolger, his lifelong sweetheart in Coon Rapids, Iowa.

After college, Bill was a computer programmer at Space Technology Labs in Long Beach, California. However, he was soon called to serve in the United States Air Force as part of the Strategic Air Command in Biloxi, Mississippi; Winslow, Arizona; and St. George, Utah. After his military service, he became an auditor for General Electric in Louisville, Kentucky, and Schenectady, New York. The family returned to Iowa in 1968, settling for a short time in West Branch.

Eventually landing in Urbandale, Bill completed an MBA from Drake University and Certified Public Accountant certification. He held several positions in management and consulting along with serving as Deputy Commissioner of Social Services under Iowa’s governor Robert Ray. After owning his accounting practice for many years, the family moved to Tucson, Arizona, in 1983, where he started a new practice and later completed a PhD in Business Management from the University of Arizona.

The last twenty years of his career were teaching at Emporia State University in Kansas, where he served as department chairperson and retired as a Professor Emeritus.
 
After retirement, Bill and Nancy moved to a cabin in the woods of the southern Missouri Ozarks, where he enjoyed working on family history and writing projects. He also wrote and published several works of fiction and nonfiction including The Homeplace Saga, a family historical fiction series.

Bill enjoyed reading, playing video games, and watching college and pro sports on television. He was a strong advocate of women and enjoyed coaching his daughter’s softball teams.

Bill is survived by his three daughters: Annette Christine Lamb and her husband, Larry Johnson, of Teasdale, Utah; Allison Ruth King of Hollister, Missouri; and Arrion Sue Rathsack and her husband, Ben of Austin, Texas. He is also survived by two grandchildren: Alex and Kaylee Rathsack, along with step-grandchildren and great-step-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Ruth Smith; daughter, Appril Eileen Smith; and son-in-law, Ed King.

A private burial will take place at Union Township Cemetery near Coon Rapids, Iowa. Plans for a Celebration of Life will be shared at a future date. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in his name to the charity of your choice. Arrangements and cremation are under the direction of Cremations of the Ozarks. To leave an online condolence or share a memory, please visit www.cremationsoftheozarks.com.