MORATTICO—Franklin “Frank” Dean Smith, of Morattico, passed away in his sleep April 11, after a long illness.
Born on November 8, 1932, in Cherokee, Iowa, Frank was a career naval officer who retired in 1981 with the rank of captain. Following retirement, he engaged in defense-related enterprises in the Washington, D.C., area and later owned a company that focused on captioning for the hearing impaired.
He married Carol G. Dawson in 1986 and they subsequently moved to the Northern Neck, settling in the historic village of Morattico.
He was predeceased by his parents, Clarence and Clara (Stier) Smith of Cherokee, Iowa.
His first marriage to the former Elizabeth Peregoy ended in divorce. They had three children, Scott Smith (Teresa); Elizabeth Connolly (Michael); and Alex Delmontage. His four stepchildren, Edward Baumann (Josie); Genie Eardley (John); Vicky Winger (Dane); and James Bauman, were close to their stepfather and he treated them as his own.
In addition, he and his wife Carol had a combined total of 16 grandchildren and step-grandchildren.
Smith attended local schools in Cherokee, and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952. After his 1956 graduation, he attended the Navy Supply Corps School, Athens, Ga., and later served on a destroyer (USS Hunt) out of Newport, R.I.
He served two tours teaching math at the Naval Academy. The latter part of his naval career included service at the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C., and at the Westinghouse Bettis Plant in Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1964 to June 1966 he was the supply officer on the USS Maury out of Honolulu, Hawaii, with deployments to Columbia and to Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam. In June, 1968, he received a master’s from Harvard Business School, and also attended the War College in Washington, D.C.
Later he served at the U.S. Naval Supply Center in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and at the Defense Department in Crystal City. His final tour of duty was with the PAC Fleet Support Office in Honolulu.
Frank was a longtime member of the Fairfax Hunt in Fairfax and served as president of the club for several years. Recently he had a business marketing jewelry at the Kilmarnock Antique Gallery.
He was a member of St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Kilmarnock. Visitation was held from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, April 16, at Currie Funeral Home in Kilmarnock. A Wake Service was held at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Rosary at 6:30 p.m. A Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. Francis de Sales at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 17, followed by a reception at the Church Hall.
The family suggests donations to Hospice of Virginia, 1328 Tappahannock Boulevard, Tappahannock, VA 22560, or to the St. Francis de Sales Building Fund, 154 East Church Street, Kilmarnock, VA 22482.
