“Entry was made into his business where officers discovered Mr. Smith deceased,” CPD Sgt. James Waller said. “There is an ongoing investigation, but no foul play is suspected at this time.”

VFW Post 4709 Commander Floyd Stewart, who has been friends with Smith, 62, for about 15 years, said he was unable to reach Smith on Wednesday and Thursday and went to his business to check on him with members of the Precinct 2 Constable’s Office and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. Stewart said a locksmith helped him and the two officers gain entry, although he did not go inside. He said someone called CPD for the welfare check when they saw Stewart, the locksmith, and the officers checking in on the locked business.

He believes Smith may have passed way from a heart attack as he had been complaining about indigestion and back pain on Monday.

Stewart said he encouraged Smith to go to the doctor, but said Smith had concerns about affordability and did not want to delay Operation Backpack, which donates school supplies to children of service men and women in Conroe.

This year Smith raised about $1,500 in backpacks filled with school supplies for the children, which he had planned to give at the now-postponed annual event at the 158th Aviation Regiment in Conroe on Aug. 25.

“That was typical Kenny, always putting somebody else ahead of himself,” said Stewart.

Born in Detroit, the U.S. Army 101st Airborne veteran served in Vietnam and was a member of the VFW Post 4709.

Smith was instrumental in renaming Wilson Road Overpass above Interstate 45 to the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Conroe, where he placed flags he and Stewart bought for every military holiday.

Through Honor-Bound, Smith also worked with the Golden Girls at Conroe High School and with the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).

“He also was very generous towards Conroe police as far as printing shirts or duffel bags for them,” Stewart said. “He worked with virtually every law enforcement unit in the Conroe area.”

This month, he worked with Wiesner in Conroe and helped purchase a new bulletproof vest and $5,000 in training supplies for CPD K-9 officers, Ninja and Thor.

“He was known for his generous spirit,” Waller said. “He routinely donated his time and money to police, military and needy children. He was currently working on a project to provide school supplies and backpacks to local needy children for school. His presence in the community will be missed.”

In the past, Smith delivered 200 t-shirts to Texas firefighters who had lost everything in a fire. This week, he was working on gathering donations for flood victims in Louisiana.

He also helped homeless people, including veterans in need with clothing, according to Stewart.

“He had a whole section of toiletry items for veterans,” he said. “If there was a homeless vet he was the first one to step up and give us whatever he had in the store.

“... He was just a kind hearted individual,” he added. “If you were starving to death, if you needed a $20 bus fare, he would do his best to round it up and give it to you.”

Smith has one daughter who lives out of state. Stewart is in communication with the daughter and is taking the steps to be able to still host Operation Backpack at the VFW Post 4709 in Conroe before school begins.

No funeral arrangements have been set at this time, however Stewart anticipates that a memorial service will be held soon with a possible fundraiser to help with funeral costs.