Eric Michael Smead

Eric Michael Smead, 76 of Odessa, passed away on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. The family will receive friends from 5:00pm – 7:00pm, Monday, May 8, 2023 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10:00am, Tuesday, May 9, 2023 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Park.

Eric was born on April 15, 1947 in Roswell, New Mexico to Mildred and Ed Smead. At an early age, the family moved to Kermit, Texas where Eric was raised until attending high school at the Holy Cross Abbey in Canyon City, Colorado. After graduating in 1965, he studied at the University of Dallas and the Conception Abbey in northwest Missouri, before joining the U.S. Army in 1970 and marrying his first wife Donna Merckle Edney in 1971. Eric served in the U.S. and Germany and was honorably discharged in 1973. He went on to attend and receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Illinois University in 1976. He then moved to Midland, Texas, started a family, and began working for his family’s business, Aladdin House Furniture, where he continued to work in it’s various iterations until he retired in 2010. He married his wife Carolyn in 2013 and resided in Odessa, Texas with her until his death.

Eric was an avid collector of books, music, and films, and enjoyed exploring creative endeavors throughout his life that included photography, pottery, woodworking, and writing poetry. He was a great believer in Jesus Christ and the promise of everlasting life.

His wife describes him as “a wonderful husband. He was quiet, patient, and always positive. Even though he was sick, he never complained. We had nine years together, which was not nearly enough. I love him very much and he will be greatly missed by me and my family.”

Eric is preceded in death by his parents and brother Greg Smead.

Eric is survived by his wife Carolyn, his daughter Carol Stocks and son-in-law Rick Stocks, his daughter Sharon Smead and son-in-law Aaron Williamson, his stepdaughter Laura Miller, his stepson Steven Miller and daughter-in-law Mindy Miller, his grandchildren Wheeler Stocks, Jackson Miller, and Madelyn Miller, his nephews Matt Smead and Nick Smead, and his niece Lauren Devitt.

The family would like to express their gratitude towards the Baylor, Scott & White staff in both Fort Worth and Dallas for being so caring and helpful during Eric’s 2023 stay, and to the doctors at MD Anderson in Houston for giving us over 40 more years with him after his cancer diagnosis in 1980.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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