He was the beloved husband and forever soulmate of the late Carol Joy (Hanson) Smith. Carol passed away on November 28, 2022 after a long courageous battle with ALS. They were married for 43 years.
Born in Providence. His father was Francis Raymond Smith and his mother was Antonetta Maria (Corvese) Smith. He leaves one son Gerald Smith of Smithfield and one daughter Marion Coleman of Smithfield. He also leaves two grandchildren Amanda Faiola of Pascoag and Robert Ferrante of Smithfield and several great-grandchildren.
Gerald graduated from Hope High School with high honors (Rhode Island Honor Society, etc) and earned a Certificate in Oceanography and a Certificate in Chemistry from the University of Rhode Island’s Program for Selected Gifted High School Students. He was selected to be a Junior Rotarian representing Hope High School and also selected to be a Representative representing Hope High School in the Rhode Island Model Legislature. After graduating from Hope High School, he then earned a Certificate in Investment Analysis from Brown University Extension. Thereafter, he earned an Associate of Science degree in Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Anthropology (focus: Cultural Anthropology) from Brown University (full tuition scholarship at Brown University). Upon graduation from Brown University, he accepted a research position with Brown University in the Population Laboratory.
He accepted an executive position with Breck’s of Boston and rose to become Vice President of Marketing Research. After Breck’s of Boston, he accepted the positions of Vice President of Marketing Research at Interstate Acceptance, Inc. and Vice President of Parker Associates, Inc. Then, he became President of the Justin H. Smith Company.
After Gerald married Carol, he accepted positions as a commercial demographic interviewer in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. Then he accepted consultant positions for organizations that centered on troubled teens. He then accepted an executive position with a large organization that focused primarily on developmentally disabled adults who also had severe sociopsychological dysfunctions. While an executive with that organization, he was awarded numerous awards and a Certificate in Non-Violent Intervention from the Non-Violent Institute. After that position, he became President of Human Dimensions Research and a consultant. He and Carol felt that a major accomplishment was when he was called to Denver, Colorado to help in an effort to save an essential church that served the poor and homeless from downtown high rise development. Their research efforts helped to save the church (the church remains while the high rise building that exists above the church owns the “air rights” above the church) and their research efforts helped to establish the first large full service homeless shelter in the United States. Also, their efforts provided some of the basis for the recent “right to rest” legislation. While living in the Denver area, they lived in Golden, Colorado (a short distance from Denver).
Gerald and his beloved wife Carol enjoyed: mountain climbing, kayaking, long distance hikes, bicycling, Scrabble, tennis, horseback riding, miniature golf, art, music, reading, poetry, and creating original recipes.
He belonged to the Brown University Club, the Brown Alumni Association, and was a Class Agent for his Brown University Class.
When his beloved wife Carol died after a long courageous battle with ALS, he kissed her, told her he loved her, and was holding her hand. She smiled, closed her eyelids as if sleeping, and peacefully passed away. His heart was forever broken, but now they are together again holding hands in perpetual eternity.
His memorial services and burial will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 in North Burial Ground, 5 Branch Ave, Providence at 12:00 p.m. Along with Gerald's services, the family will also be having a memorial service and burial for his mother, Antonetta Smith.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.9.6