Family receives outpouring of love after plane crash that killed North TX doctor, 2 sons

Heath Smith, who was a North Texas school board member and surgeon, was known by many as a public servant for the community of Paradise in Wise County.

He regularly volunteered and made donations, as he wanted to support the best interests of the children and the Paradise community, his loved ones say.

But he was also known for being a fiercely loyal person to the staff he worked with, his friends and his family.

“He loved his profession. He loved the people he worked with,” Heath’s older brother, Landon Smith, told the Star-Telegram.

Heath Smith, a general and bariatric surgeon who graduated from Texas A&M University Medical School in 2009 and practiced at Wise Health System’s My Bariatric Solutions, including an office in Fort Worth, was serving his third term on the Paradise ISD school board and was the board’s vice president. He and his two youngest sons were killed when their plane crashed earlier this month on their way home from a trip.

“He was such a popular guy, especially in his industry. He’s touched countless lives,” said Landon Smith, who also serves on the school board. “I’ve had all kinds of people reach out to me and tell me he’s saved their life, you know, he’s done this or that, ‘saved our marriage’, ... ‘helped us start a family’, or whatever the case may be.”

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While a major professional figure in the Paradise community, Heath Smith enjoyed his time off from work by hunting, flying, and spending time at home with his family and friends.

His sons who also died in the crash, Wyatt, 8, and Noah, 6, were a reflection of Heath Smith’s character. From young ages, they would accompany their father on hunting trips.

According to Landon, Wyatt worshiped the ground his father walked on.

“He was in his hip pocket everywhere he went,” Landon said. “It didn’t matter where he was going. Wyatt was going to be with him.”

As for Noah, he was following in his older brother’s footsteps, but still had an attachment to his parents.

“He loved his momma and his daddy both the same,” his uncle said. “I’m going to miss that about Noah. His cute little personality. He was just so hysterical and funny. Just his little personality. He was just now starting to come out ... he was just figuring out who he was and who he wanted to be.”

Heath Smith, 40, was flying his Cessna 310 R on Jan. 14 when it crashed in Parker County near Poolville, according to authorities. Coming from Carrizo Springs in Dimmit County, he and his sons were on their way back to Wise County from a hunting trip.

Heath Smith’s wife, Andrea, and their oldest son, 11-year-old Colin, were not on the plane.

The wreckage was found about 10 miles southwest of Bridgeport Municipal Airport, where the plane was scheduled to land at 12:20 p.m., according to FlightAware. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Landon Smith says the family believes weather conditions, including ice and freezing temperatures, may have contributed to the crash.

Meanwhile, Andrea, Colin, and Heath Smith’s parents, Rick and Joyce Smith, have received an outpouring of love from friends and the community.

“They just want to hold you and hug you and they want to feed you,” Landon said. “There have been little trains of people that have shown up every day.”

The family has been taking the grieving process one day at a time, he said. They go through pictures of Heath and his sons, and have been able to smile and laugh, as they reminisce on memories that made up Wyatt’s and Noah’s childhood.

One of Landon’s favorite memories includes when the two boys would play with their roller skates, which they had just gotten as Christmas gifts.

“They were terrible at it,” Landon laughed. “But they just kept getting up and skating round and around. They’d go, crash and burn, get back up, you know?”

As Wyatt was growing up, he gained an interest in flag football, but was hesitant about joining a team because he didn’t want to miss hunting trips with his father.

After finally playing for the first time in 2023, he ended up being the superstar of his team, Landon says.

“They were great kids. They were just fun.”

Noah was known for being sweet and mischievous. He always looked for an adventure, something that would test his courage, like jumping into a cold lake, his uncle said.

“He was screaming ‘cause it was so cold,” Landon said. “But it was a good life lesson for him. He was that kid.”

A funeral for Heath, Wyatt and Noah will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church at 1200 Preskitt Road in Decatur, with a private family burial at Paradise Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday at the church.