Richard A. Smith dies of injuries from I.E.D.

When Rich Smith saw something he wanted, he went after it full-force.

"That boy had a zest for life," said his father, James Smith. "He didn't wait for anything to come to him."

Rich Smith, 20, wanted to serve others and find a way to pay for college, so he joined the Army a year and a half ago, his family said. But his plans will not be fulfilled.

He died during an explosion on New Year's Eve, just three months into his duty in Iraq, his family said.

He married his high school sweetheart, Amber, who is pregnant with their first child, relatives said.

"He spent his time loving people, trying to make people laugh that were sad. And when he left to go and fight in this war, I know he fought with everything that was in him because everything he ever did, he did to the fullest," said Barbara Speer, Rich Smith's mother.

She said her son was a mature young man who felt a calling to fight in Iraq.

Smith grew up in Arlington and was the youngest of Speer's four children. He hoped to attend Dallas Baptist University and become a youth minister, she said.

James Smith said he feels comforted by the good he knew his son was trying to do.

"He told me about soldiers giving away soccer balls and candy and all the daily things they were doing to make a difference," he said.

Rich Smith graduated from the Alternative Education Center in Mansfield with a diploma from Summit High School in 2004. School officials said he attended the center to catch up on credits so he could graduate on time.

His teachers remember him as a joyful and curious student who made class fun and loved to show off his artwork.

"He was somebody you'd always want to have around," math teacher Marianne Hovey said. "We are a small campus at AEC, so we all get to know the kids pretty well. He meant a lot to us."

Science teacher Sally McClure said Smith was in a few of her classes and loved to spend time with and learn about the different pets she kept in her classroom -- including a parakeet, iguana and tarantula. He also kept a pet lizard at home.

"He always wanted to learn more about them," she said. "Rich found fun in every situation and had a way of getting others involved."

Smith was once stationed at Fort Hood, where he was a cook. His culinary talents earned him cook of the quarter, his father said.

"He just had this creative streak in him," James Smith said. "He was quite a good kid. ...He believed in honor and duty and respect. There's grown men that don't have what he had at 20."

James Smith said his son's body is expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware early this morning. Services are pending.

Other survivors include his stepmother, Tammy Smith of Frisco; his brother, Andy Preston; sisters, Megan Smith, Denise Thompson and Jessica Preston; grandmother, Shirley Smith; grandfather, Andy Speer; and aunt, Deborah Knight.

From the Star Telegram