LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Roland Kent Smith died instantly from injuries sustained in a vehicular collision on Aug. 6, 2015, in Middletown. He was 54.
He is survived by his parents; siblings; his three children, Nathaniel, Caleb and Hannah from Placer County; and his many dear friends in Lake County.
Roland was appreciative of the wonderful opportunities life had offered him. The son of a well-known missionary family gave him the opportunity not only to travel worldwide, but he also learned the joy of serving humanity. At heart, he was much more the giver than the taker.
He was a man of diverse talents, although to have initially met him, it is not likely that would be divulged. He was sensitive and modest, however, when it came to getting things done, he showed leadership and was self-motivated.
Roland made and kept friends easily and it's remarkable how many friends he made in his brief time with us. His talents and love are a great loss to this community.
Roland earned a Bachelor of Science in communications with honors from Trinity College (Sacramento); photography and media (Sierra College, Rocklin, Calif.); and psychology at Nazarene College (Colorado Springs). He attended Munich American International School (West Germany) and the Mexican American International School in Mexico City and spoke fluent Spanish and German.
He was the Renaissance-type man who was competent in many areas – from construction, mechanics, and so forth. But his outstanding work in society was in the area of broadcast TV, film and multimedia. He created specialized TV and multimedia products for organizations such as NASA, the International Space Station and the Department of Defense, and held top secret classified security clearances for counter-intelligence.
In the 1980s and 1990s he produced TV shows and documentaries both nationally and internationally, including Hollywood Then and Now and the Hollywood Classics Network. A specialist in Avid post-production systems, he designed and developed post facilities for the NFL, NBA and MLB, including upgrading several TV stations and studios to state-of-the-art HD digital video systems.
Roland received two consecutive Presidential Awards for his work at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., with the Detachment 9 Launch Programs, and the 21st Annual TELLY Award for the California Space Technology Association’s promotional campaign, among many other awards.
A resident of Lake County for only three years, Roland still had his extensive collection of video production equipment and was just preparing to reestablish his career by writing several short movie scripts with several residents of Lake County. At the time of his passing, Roland was about to embark as a project and video director, taking on considerable responsibilities to help develop a new resort for Lake County.
Finally, Roland eagerly offered his talents as a cast member of the Lake County Theatre Group for the musical production of Monty Python's “Spamalot” in 2014. Then, in 2015 he entered the Mr. Lake County Pageant just a two weeks before his tragic death where people rolled in the aisles at his entertaining performance. Record-Bee covered Roland’s last public appearance with his friends at the historic Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport, resulting in coverage on both the front cover and back page. What a way to end a charmed life – like a champagne glass overflowing!
A tribute party for our dear friend will be this Sunday, Aug. 30, in Kelseyville with silent auction to benefit his childrens’ trust; a unique video tribute, Roland’s favorite foods; dancing and music with David Neft.
RSVP to Jann Kitselman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; Casse at 707-349-4042 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or send a friend request to the group “Remember Roland” on Facebook for full details.
