William Norman "Bill" Smyer, Ph. D., 79, of Fancy Gap, Virginia, died September 8, 2025, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert F. Smyer and Gay Ellis Smyer, and sister Carole Smyer Jones. He is survived by his brother, Richard F. (Sissy) Smyer of Seguin, Texas; brother-in-law J. William Jones of Foley, Alabama; nieces Michele (Eric) Arnett, South Bend, Indiana; Kim (Johnny) Maldonado, Spanish Fort, Alabama; Shannon (Danny) Sullivan, Fairhope, Alabama; Jody Jones, Bay Minette, Alabama; and Kate (Andrew) Sawyer, Seguin, Texas; nephews Adam Smyer, San Antonio, Texas; and Cory (Deb) Smyer, Raleigh, North Carolina; and numerous cousins, great-nieces and great-nephews. He is also survived by his Goddaughter, Meri Moreland Flowers, and many close friends who touched his life in so many ways throughout the years, including especially Webb and Jane Flowers. At the time of his passing, he was the oldest surviving descendant of his grandmother Mattie Norman Ellis (for whom he was named), whose life was memorialized in "A Widow's Might" by Carolyn Ellis Lipscomb, his aunt.

Bill was born June 10, 1946, in Drake Infirmary on the campus of Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) and moved with his parents and sister to Fairhope, Alabama, in 1949. He attended Fairhope High School where he was Captain of the Buccaneer Band and president of the Interact Club. As a senior, he was named the premier Baritone player in Alabama at the annual High School Band Festival.

In 1964, he enrolled at Auburn and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in1968. After working for industry at Texas Instruments in Dallas and at Frito-Lay in Dallas, Omaha and Council Bluffs, he returned to Auburn in 1975 to pursue a Master's degree in I.E. and subsequently also earned his Ph.D. in that field. As a result, Bill was among a very small, select group of people who were born on the Auburn campus and earned three degrees there. He was a member of the Auburn University Marching Band all four years he was an undergraduate student and always took great pride in having played for legendary Auburn band director Dr. "Bodie" Hinton.

Bill was, of course, a lifelong Auburn Tigers fan and it was rare for him to be stumped when asked anything about Auburn football. He also was a lifelong Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves fan. Imagine what it was like to be an 11-year old boy in 1957 when the Braves won the World Series and just weeks later Auburn won the college football national championship!

In 1979, Bill began what turned out to be a 28-years long career at Mississippi State University in Starkville. While his passion was teaching, he did spend a few years in administration, primarily as an advisor, but was able to return to the classroom to "beat back the frontiers of knowledge," as he put it, until his retirement in 2007. He chose a position at Mississippi State over LSU primarily because he was looking for a place to settle that was most like Auburn or the fictional town of Mayberry, NC.

When he retired, Bill moved to Fancy Gap, coincidentally not far from the "real" Mayberry – Mt. Airy, NC. The relocation was inspired by his love for the Flowers family, who had recently moved to that area. He soon thereafter experienced a religious rebirth and became a faithful member of the Hillsville (Virginia) First Baptist Church, where he served as Deacon Chair, Stewardship Committee Chair, Adult Sunday School teacher and Constitution and Bylaws team leader. He was an enthusiastic member of the church choir and many parishioners will miss his beautiful voice, which he used both to sing and to narrate several of the church's stage productions. His church family was very important to him and some of his HFBC friends were at his side during his last few days.

Services will be announced at a later date. For those wishing to make a charitable donation in memory of Bill, the family suggests they be made to the Hillsville First Baptist Church, the National Kidney Foundation or the Auburn University Marching Band Donor Fund. Vaughan-Guynn-McGrady Chapel is serving the family.