Dwayne Leon Smith

Dwayne Leon Smith, 65, of Bartlesville, died Tuesday, August 14, 2018 in Bartlesville Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 in the Stumpff Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Jsue Wagner of Comforting Hands Hospice officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of the Stumpff Funeral Home & Crematory. This is a story about my brother, Dwayne Leon Smith. He was born October 14,1952 at Memorial Hospital, Bartlesville, Oklahoma to our mother, Annetta Drake Smith, and our father A. Leon Smith. I’m his big sister, LeAnne Smith Ames. Dwayne was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of 3 years old. At that time there were no accessories for handicapped children, so our daddy built him a wooden high chair stand with rollers and a big wooden tray. We could push him around the house to be with us and he used the tray for his toys and his favorite Little Golden Book, “The Lucky Puppy.” As a child I remember Dwayne being fun to play with, laughing, smiling and taking medicine. I remember there being lots of medicine. As I got older and understood his condition I learned the medication was for his seizures. Dwayne has touched the lives of so many people. He was always ready to go. He got that from our mother. He’s gone on cruises, weekend getaways, day trips, birthday parties, Therapeutic Riding, Special Olympics, bowling, jubilee in Nowata on Saturday nights, rodeos, parades and on and on. Anything the community had to offer, and anything he could talk the staff in to doing. He was quite busy, quite entertained and very happy. Dwayne moved from the family home to Hissom Memorial Center in 1961. From Hissom he moved to Hays House in Nowata in 1971. From Hays House he moved to ARC Group Homes in 1993. He was with ARC for 25 years. Dwayne’s staff are more than people who work for him. They are his family. Patricia has been with Dwayne for 14 years and is day staff. Jamie has been with Dwayne for 13 years and is afternoon shift.Chad works midnight shift and has been with Dwayne for 11 years. Art, his weekend staff has been with Dwayne 14 years. I consider these people to be the most giving, caring, loving humans. They made my brother’s world fun, and safe. They saw to it he was clothed, bathed and fed. They treated him with dignity and understanding. They were his family. Now Dwayne’s other family were his stuffed toys. Bozo the Clown – BooBoo, Bert and Ernie, Scooby Doo, and oh my gosh, his room was filled with his friends that he talked to, conspired with, and carried with him as his best friend. Another favorite was catalogs, Montgomery Ward, Sears, JC Penney. He would flip through these catalogs endlessly finding numbers, pictures of dogs, cats, pretty girls and babies. Just like the rest of us do with our magazines and catalogs. Unfortunately, the catalog industry has given way to iPads, iPhones, computers and Amazon. Dwayne had to learn to look through magazines and phone books. He didn’t really like those, but never complained. Well, maybe once he threw one across the room, but who of us hasn’t done that. Dwayne loved and was loved by his DNA family: his brother-in-law Lenard Ames Jr., his nieces CJ Buchanan and Katherine Buchanan, his nephew Scott Ames and their spouses. He had two great-nieces, Mallory Brendle and Taylor Ames, and two great-nephews Max Goad and Carter Ames. His favorite Uncle Cecil and Norma Lea Sanderson, and a gob of cousins, Don, Randy, Joe, Jerry, Jeff, Jamie, Jim, Susie, Gene and Debra, and me, his sister. At the age of 65 years and 10 months, his body tired and broken, gave up when our mother and daddy came to get him. The thought of him standing tall and straight, walking, running, jumping, reading, spelling, writing, never to be encumbered by his wheelchair again gives me great comfort, joy, peace. And to the Community of Bartlesville, if you ever smiled at Dwayne, spoke to or was told by him to please get out of his way, I thank you for your compassion and understanding of someone that is a little different looking, speaking and acting. Well, I could go on and on about the life of my little brother Dwayne, but as you can see, I thought he was a pretty special person and I’m going to love to see him walking towards me when he comes to get me. Thank you for listening and loving Dwayne. Blessings, LeAnne Smith Ames. Memorial funds have been established and those who wish may send their contributions to the All-Star Therapy Group, 37500 US 75 Highway, Ramona, Oklahoma 74061 or to Special Olympics-Bartlesville Public Schools, c/o Education Service Center, Attn: Jason Langum, 1100 S. Jennings, Bartlesville, Oklahoma 74003.

Dwayne Leon Smith

October 14, 1952 - August 14, 2018