Richard Lawrence Smith

Richard was born May 30, 1924 in the Bronx, NY to John and Frances Smith. In 1942, after high school, he enlisted in the military. During World War II he proudly served in the Mighty Eighth Air Force as a Waist Gunner on a B17 named Gypsy Princess.

He returned to New York after the war and earned a B.S. from NYU. In 1945 he married Muriel Theresa Hochheim, his one true love. They were happily married for 66 years before her passing in 2011. He is survived by his two daughters and son-in-law: Stephanie P. Smith of Philadelphia, PA and Stacie & Matt Oste of Concord, NC, all of whom will miss him every day.

Richard had a successful career in industrial sales with Synthane Taylor Corporation, retiring as VP Sales & Marketing at the young age of 58. And then he and Muriel began their travels. Some of their favorite destinations included Scotland, Ireland, England, British Columbia, Alaska, and California.

Not only was Richard highly intelligent and well-read, but he had a wonderful sense of humor and had a joke ready for every occasion. He never met a stranger and was a born entertainer. He was generous beyond belief, could fix anything and was a born optimist. He was a fan of single malt scotch (Lagavulin was his favorite) and loved sharing it. He had "grand-pets" in lieu of grandchildren, but he loved them just the same.

A private Celebration of Life event is pending. Memorials can be made to the Fisher House Foundation (www.fisherhouse.org).