Dr. Lawrence C. Smith, Jr., 80, of Ruston, went to be with the Lord on February 19, 2014 at LSU Health Medical Center. The funeral services will be held Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 10:00am at Temple Baptist Church Chapel in Ruston, Louisiana. Interment will immediately follow at Midway Cemetery in Meadville, Mississippi, at 3:30pm under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Dr. Ben Smith, pastor of First Baptist Church, Lake Dallas, Texas. Lawrence was born on May 25, 1933, in Bunkley, Mississippi to Lawrence C. Smith, Sr., and Mattie Stroud Smith, and lived there on his family‚ farm where he worked in the family business of logging, pulp wooding, and sawmilling. During the Korean War, he was drafted and spent three years in the United States Army. After serving in the military he married his high school sweetheart, Doris Barfoot.Lawrence is preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Doris Barfoot Smith. He is survived by his four children and their spouses, Drs. Murphy and Kathy Smith of Murray, Kentucky; Chris Smith of Ruston; Lorman and Patti Smith of Mansfield, Texas; and Doug and Angie (Smith) Brewer of Ruston; seven grandchildren, Tracy (Smith) Brewer, Jacob Smith, Hannah (Smith) Martin, Carly and Zachary Smith; Matthew and Michael Brewer; and three great-grandchildren, Penelope and Forrest Brewer, and Katherine Martin and one brother Ben Smith.He received his undergraduate degree in economics from Mississippi College in 1961, his master‚ degree from University of Southern Mississippi in 1962, and Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi in 1968. In 1970, Lawrence moved with his family to Ruston to become a tenured economics professor at Louisiana Tech University teaching for the College of Business in the Department of Economics and Finance for 33 years, retiring in 2004. He was a member of and served as secretary treasurer in the Midsouth Academy of Economics and Finance for 18 years. He served as faculty adviser for Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity while a professor. Lawrence was active in the community serving as an Alderman for the Ruston City Council from 1995-1998. He was member of Temple Baptist Church. He taught a men‚ Sunday school class at Temple and also at Longleaf Nursing Home. He served on various committees and drove the church bus for numerous youth trips.Lawrence was very close to his family and spent much of his free time traveling to his hometown in Franklin County. While there he oversaw his timber, cut trails with his tractor for his children to enjoy riding through on four-wheelers. He often called it The Promised Land. He enjoyed camping, hunting, fishing, water skiing, dominoes, and playing tennis. You would often see Dr. Smith riding his motorcycle and jogging with his dogs Tuffy and Doc. Pallbearers will be Justin Brown, Curtis Hawkins, Carl Johnson, Zachary Smith, Matthew Brewer, and Michael Brewer. Visitation will be Friday, February 21, 2014 from 5:00-7:00pm at Kilpatrick Funeral Home.