Mr. R.D. “Bulldog” Smith, Jr.

Mr. R.D. “Bulldog” Smith, Jr., age 98 of Toccoa passed away peacefully at Pruitt Health Toccoa on Friday, July 31, 2026.

A son of the late R.D. Smith, Sr. and Essie Burgess Smith, he was born June 12, 1928, in Toccoa, Georgia where he had lived most of his life. He attended Toccoa High School. At the age of twelve, he went to Washington, D.C. to serve as a page in the U.S. House of Representative. He was one of twelve pages selected to have dinner with the late President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor.

At the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corp and served in the Southwest Pacific. After his military service, he served on the staff of the U.S. House Un-American Activities Committee. He joined the Leon Williams Post 4346 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of Toccoa in 1947 where he served on several committees. In 1974, he was elected Junior Vice Commander in Chief, advancing to Senior Vice Commander in Chief in 1975, and to Commander in Chief in 1976-1977. He moved on to serve in those offices on a national level, traveling throughout the United States and the world. He is also a member of the American Legion Post 104 of Toccoa, a member of Toccoa First Baptist Church and the Agoga Sunday School Class. He enjoyed watching old movies, listening to gospel music, traveling, singing with the Singing Saints, going to the Stephens County Senior Cener and going to sing at the nursing home (Pruitt Health). He loved his family and his many, many friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Billy Smith and Delano Smith, his sisters, Kathleen Dover, Arbutus Westmoreland, Bonnie Youngblood and Betty Osborne, his wife and mother of his son, Betty Prosper Smith, and second wife Joyce Pharr Smith.

He is survived by his wife, Sandra Angel Smith of the home; son, Keith Daniel Smith; step-daughter, Melanie Angel; step-grandson, Ryan Miller (Stormie); two step-great-grandsons, Bo and Rhett Miller; nieces and nephews, Dale Dover, Eddie Dover, Janet Conners, Sherrie Thompson and David Westmoreland and a number of great-nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, August 4, 2026, in the Hillcrest Chapel of the Acree-Davis Funeral Home with The Reverend Brett Sanders officiating. The following gentlemen will serve as pallbearers, Randy Shirley, Larry Earhart, Gerald Turner, Ryan Miller, Arnold White and Lee Woody. Military Honors by the V.F.W. Post 4346 Honor Guard, American Legion Post 104 Honor Guard, United States Army Honor Guard and Mr. William Tucker.

The family will receive friends at the Acree-Davis Funeral Home on Monday, 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.acree-davisfh.com

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, 475 E. Tugalo Street, Toccoa, Georgia 30577 in memory of R.D. “Bulldog” Smith, Jr.

Interment will follow in the Toccoa City Cemetery with the Acree-Davis Funeral Home and Crematory in charge of the arrangements for Mr. R.D. “Bulldog” Smith, Jr.