Sadly we announce the passing of Rev. Richard Smith. Richard, a husband, father, minister, scholar, traveller, and teacher, passed away peacefully after suffering an injury from an accidental fall while on vacation.
Richard was born in Marietta, Oklahoma and in 1951, after receiving his Honors B.A. in History from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, he attended seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He graduated with a B.D. in May, 1954 and was ordained as Minister of Troy and Nonesuch Presbyterian Churches near Versailles, Kentucky. He married his life-long love Eddie Lee Embry of Clark County, Kentucky in 1954 and they were blessed with four sons. After receiving his M.A. in Ancient Languages and Literature in 1957 from the University of Kentucky and his Ph.D. in Ancient History in 1961 from the University of Illinois, he taught in Wisconsin and Texas prior to moving to Edmonton to teach Classics at the University of Alberta in 1965. He retired in 1995 after serving on many boards and committees and as Assistant Dean of Arts, Chairman of Classics and as Chairman and Professor of the University of Alberta School in Rome, Italy. He remained a member of the Presbyterian Church and filled the pulpit of many of the churches of the Presbytery of Edmonton-Lakeland, including serving as interim minister for First Church. He enjoyed being connected to his community and in addition to his almost daily bridge habit, he served on the ethics committee at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, as treasurer for his community association as well as providing pulpit supply, singing with the Richard Eaton Singers and serving as an elder of Dayspring Presbyterian Church for over two decades.
He greatly missed his much loved wife Eddie-Lee, who predeceased him. He was also predeceased by his parents Richard and Sue and his brother William, but he will live on through and his memory will be cherished by his four sons: Mark, Bruce (and wife Jill), Scott (and wife Meriam), and Brian (and wife Rosa) and his adored grandchildren: Julian, Christopher, Stephen, Amalia, Eric, Damian, Kyler and Aiden.
He greatly missed his much loved wife Eddie-Lee, who predeceased him. He was also predeceased by his parents Richard and Sue and his brother William, but he will live on through and his memory will be cherished by his four sons: Mark, Bruce (and wife Jill), Scott (and wife Meriam), and Brian (and wife Rosa) and his adored grandchildren: Julian, Christopher, Stephen, Amalia, Eric, Damian, Kyler and Aiden.
A service celebrating Richard's life was held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday October 25, 2014 at Dayspring Presbyterian Church (11445-40 Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta).
Published in The Edmonton Journal from Oct. 22 to 24, 2014
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To see more click on the following link: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/edmontonjournal/obituary.aspx?pid=172899693#sthash.w9ng1kbC.dpuf
