Aaron Lawson Smith

Aaron was born June 24, 1976 in Dallas, Texas. A smitten and devoted husband, he is survived by his loving wife, Chiyang , and his son, Adam.

Even for someone so young, Aaron had a full, and rich life. Beginning his career in the Marines, he swiftly became a MP and rose to the rank of sergeant while serving at the Okinawa, Belgium, and Cario Embassies. After serving his country, Aaron earned his B.S. in Business Administration & M.S. of Accounting from the University of Texas at Dallas as well as his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law, before finally moving into the position of President within the Smith Family business; the largest and oldest privately held security company in the US and a leader in professional services and staffing as well as electronic and digital security services. There he helped grow the business into what it is today, along with his uncle and cousins, Alex and Elliott, who will continue to carry the family name in his stead. He also served as long-term Treasurer for the Associated Security Services and Investigators of the State of Texas, ASSIST.

Aaron possessed a courage few ever dream of; from stalking a beautiful woman he saw on campus and later marrying her, or jumping out of a perfectly good plane, to showing up at a board meeting in a hospital gown. He took on life with a quiet but unmitigated zeal, and made sure he never had to ask himself, "What if I had...?" Aaron approached life’s challenges with a dry wit and wry humor, finding ways to - if not laugh at adversity - bring some modicum of levity to life’s obstacles. His courage, compassion, humor, and boundless spirit served as an example to many, and led him to encourage people to follow their hearts and their dreams, helping them in any way that he could.

Aaron was also a man of quiet, deep passion, throwing himself into hobbies and interests. He loved sharing that passion with others and bringing people together to enjoy those hobbies. He ran a game at Madness every Saturday so that strangers could have fun together, wrote well-informed posts with research and citations so strangers could learn without spending days going through scientific papers, and, most of all, he wanted people to connect and enjoy life together.

He cared deeply for his friends, family, and employees; he was always willing to help no matter how small a task or how large. He would encourage people to better themselves and then follow that encouragement with actions, not just words. He was generous with everyone, doing anything he could to help them succeed. Aaron wanted to succeed, but more than anything, he wanted - and worked - to lift everyone around him as well.

Aaron will truly be missed.

Come join in celebrating his rich and wonderful life from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Friday, April 3, 2026, at Allen Family Funeral Options.

His wife has asked that instead of flowers and gifts, donations be made in Aaron’s name to the ASSIST Fallen Officer Fund, which provides support to security officers killed or injured in the line of duty. Donations can be made at https://assisttexas.com/fallen-officer-fund/