Reverend Kenneth A. Smith

A retired priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge and a resident of Baton Rouge, he died Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center. He was born Sept. 2, 1936, in Baton Rouge to Kenneth A. Smith Sr. and Adele Michael Smith, both of whom preceded him in death. After completing the eighth grade in 1950 at Catholic High in Baton Rouge, he attended St. Joseph Seminary in St. Benedict, 1950-56; Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans, 1958-59; and St. John Seminary in Little Rock, Ark., 1959-63, where his Diaconate Ordination was administered in 1962 by the Most Rev. Albert Fletcher. His priestly ordination was celebrated on May 27, 1963, at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge with the Most Rev. Robert E. Tracy, bishop of Baton Rouge, presiding. His first Mass was celebrated on June 2, 1963, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. A faithful servant to the Diocese of Baton Rouge, his parochial assignments included associate pastor of St. Agnes Parish, 1963-72; part-time director of the Catholic Deaf Center, 1972-75; pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Maringouin, 1974-75; full-time director of the Catholic Deaf Center, 1975-78; chaplain at Baton Rouge General Medical Center, 1978-83; pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Baton Rouge, 1983-87; co-pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 1987-88; pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, 1988-2001; and his last assignment, administrator of St. Anne Parish in Sorrento and St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Darrow from 2001 until his retirement on July 1, 2004. He had also served as chaplain for the Baton Rouge City Police Department from 1977-87, and was a member of Knights of Columbus Council 3298 and the Sertoma Club of Baton Rouge. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Lelia Mary and John B. Lopoo; brother and sister-in-law, Steven Garner and Carolyn Smith; four nephews, Len and John Lopoo and Steven and Michael Smith; and two nieces, Leigh Smith Baxter and Courtney Smith Barton. Visitation at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government St., on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitation at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, 2250 Main St., on Friday from 12:30 p.m. until Mass of Christian Burial at 1:30 p.m., with the Most Rev. Robert W. Muench, bishop of Baton Rouge, presiding, the Rev. Gerard Young, principal celebrant, and concelebrated by his brother priests of the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Interment in Roselawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are requested to Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church.