Nonnie Alvis "Whitey" Smith, 88, of Rogers, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 25, 2025. Born on December 4, 1936, in Spur, Texas, to Riley G. Smith and Jettie O. Fuqua, Whitey moved to Rogers, Arkansas, as a young child, where he grew to love the town and its people. A 1956 graduate of Rogers High School, he was named "Most Valuable Player" of the 1955 RHS football team and became the first athlete to represent RHS in the Arkansas High School All-Star game. He was inducted into the Mountie Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Whitey owned Ozark Fence Co., a family business now carried on by his son and two grandsons. In 1955, he met Janice, the love of his life, and they shared 66 years of marriage, raising two children, three grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Whitey was fiercely loyal and devoted to his family, taking immense pride in his tomato garden, children, and grandchildren. His love for a lively home filled with laughter, St. Louis Cardinals games, and kids splashing in the pool was unmatched. A pillar of the Rogers community, Whitey's compassion shone through his 50 years of leading Whitey's Chicken Cook fundraisers, raising an estimated $1 million for sports teams, scout troops, and other organizations. He believed these events taught lessons of community, gratitude, and service—values he saw as the heartbeat of Rogers. His volunteer work included running the game clock for the Rogers High School Mounties for 46 years, missing only five games, and earlier working the chains on the sidelines. His dedication earned him numerous accolades, including induction into the Mountie Sports Hall of Fame (1999), Arkansas Hero (1999), Bridgestone/Firestone's 100 Who Serve (2000), Daily Point of Light (2013), the Key to the City of Rogers, and the 1988 Good Neighbor Award from the Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, Rogers High School renamed its football stadium Whitey Smith Stadium, and the Whitey Smith Scholarship supported students for many years. A modest man, Whitey always said his good deeds were "for the kids."

In addition to his parents, Riley G. Smith and Jettie O. Fuqua, Whitey was preceded in death by his siblings: Inez Smith, Christine Smith, Doris Smith, Ernest Smith of Post, Texas; Erma Undernehr of Rogers, Arkansas; and Wayne Smith of San Antonio, Texas.

Whitey is survived by his beloved wife, Janice Smith; daughter, Becky Mencl, and her husband, David; son, Tim Smith, and his wife, Kelley; grandchildren, Jaclyn Henderson and her husband, Tanner, Garrett Smith, and Joshua Smith and his wife, Mitchell; and great-grandchildren, Teagan and Slade Henderson, Sullivan Smith, and Hadley and Haisley Smith, all of Rogers, Arkansas.

A Celebration of Life Service will take place at 5:30-7:30 PM, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at Rogers High School, with remarks at 6:00 PM. In honor of Whitey, attendees are invited to wear Mountie blue.

In place of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Circle of Life Hospice.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Benton County Memorial Park & Funeral Home Rogers, Arkansas.