Ronald “Bay” Smith was born December 22, 1951 in Athens, Alabama to the late Samuel and Shirley Smith. He transitioned from this earthly life on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Bay was educated in the Metro Nashville Public School System where he received his high school diploma in 1969 from Cameron High School.
Bay will always be remembered for his fun-loving personality. He will forever be known for his love of dancing and singing because as we all know, the Smith family is the singing family.
Preceding Bay in death were both of his parents, two of his brothers, Tyrone Smith Sr, and Gregory Smith; nephew Tyrone Smith Jr,; niece, Shelina Smith; as well as longtime devoted companion, Vinnie “Cookie” Bowden.
Bay leaves many family members and friends to cherish his memory, sister, Jennifer Smith; brothers, Cedric (Annette) Smith and Anthony Smith; as well as sister-in-law, Joy Smith. He also leaves his children: daughters, Courtney Crutcher, Vonda Berkley, and Latisha Smith and son, Desmond Steele, and his bonus children, Theresa Bowden, Sandra (Howard) Freeman, Janice (Joe) Smith, Belinda Bowden, and Richard Bowden Sr. He leaves his devoted granddaughter Erica Howse, along with 27 other grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, and devoted friends, including Robert Stockard, Rhonda Pillow, and Lawrence Bowman Jr. as well as many others who loved him dearly.