Gad Clarke Smith

Gad Clarke Smith, a retired lawyer, age 83, died on November 28, 2017 in Saint Luke’s Hospice House. He was born December 17, 1933 in Kansas City, Missouri, the third of four children of Vernon H. “Bing” Smith and Katherine Jackman Smith of Lawrence, Kansas. He attended public schools in Omaha, Nebraska and Estes Park, Colorado, graduating from Estes Park High School in 1951. He attended the University of Kansas on a Navy ROTC scholarship and received a BS degree in Business in 1955. He then served three years as a Supply Corps Officer in the Navy, assigned first as the Supply Officer on the destroyer, USS Monssen (DD 798) operating in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Oceans and in the Red Sea and later as a Navy Exchange Officer at the San Diego Naval Training Center.

He attended Yale Law School, graduating in 1961, and he went to work for Spencer Fane Britt & Browne in Kansas City where he practiced until his retirement in 1998. He continued as a retired partner in the Spencer Fane firm until his death. He was a member of the Bar in Missouri, Kansas, and Colorado. His law practice specialized in corporate and business areas, and he represented a variety of privately owned manufacturing, distribution and retail firms. He also was known for representing nonprofit trade, professional, civic and charitable organizations. For many years he served as attorney for Jackson County Sports Complex Authority to which he provided legal counsel in connection with the planning, financing, construction, leasing (to the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals) and operation of the Harry S Truman Sports Complex.

In 1963, Gad Smith married Jean Coates Smith to whom he was married for 54 years. They have four children and four grandchildren.

He served as Chairman of Public Television Station, KCPT Channel 19, Board Chairman of Sunset Hill School, and on the boards of The Learning Exchange, Heart of America Council of the Boy Scouts and the Council on Education. He was a member of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and the Metropolitan Kansas City Board of Realtors.

Gad and Jean owned and operated River Spruce Cottages in Estes Park, Colorado from 1994-2009. For those 15 years, they enjoyed hosting summer visitors in their cottages on the Big Thompson River.

He was predeceased by his two sisters, Shirley Smith Hefley and Sandra Smith Hearn. He is survived by his wife Jean and by his four children, Katherine Smith Kross (Glenn Powell), G. Clarke Smith, Jr. (Beth Hogerty), Sara Smith Honan (Bill) and Brian C. Smith (Alex Struck). He is also survived by his four grandchildren, Callie Smith, Olive Honan, Graham Smith and Liam Smith and by his brother Vernon H. Smith, Jr. of Bloomington, Indiana.

Private services will be held.

Family requests no flowers, instead memorial contributions can be made to Rocky Mountain Nature Conservancy PO Box 3100 Estes Park, CO 80517 (rmconservancy.org) or Saint Luke’s Hospice House (by check to 3516 Summit St. Kansas City, MO 64111)