In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: In addition, he leaves two step-daughters, Alison Forbes of Portsmouth, NH, Ashley Bowles of Edina, MN and five step-grandchildren. Deke and Nancy moved back East in 2010, to Highland Green in Topsham, ME, where they enjoyed auditing classes at Bowdoin College, reconnecting with East Coast friends and family, and volunteering in the community.ĭeke is survived by his wife, Nancy Knocke Smith of Topsham, ME his former wife, Nancy Bassett Smith of West Newton, MA, his daughters Deborah Smith of Southborough, MA, Lydia Starosta of Norwich, VT, and Holly Rosen of Venice, CA., his cousins Anthony Smith of New York, NY and Gael Smith Arnold of Washington, D.C. In Portland, Deke and Nancy were avid golfers and raised a very special black standard poodle named Mimi. Sugar must have run in his blood he once said that dinner without ice cream was like a day without sunshine!Īfter his divorce from Nancy in 1991, Deke married Nancy Knocke of Portland, Oregon, in 1994 and moved to Portland where Nancy had lived for many years, creating Smith-Ed Consulting together. Deke was also instrumental in the creation and ongoing success of the Weston Sugar Shack, still operating at Weston Middle School. Deke and Nancy were early supporters of “Green Power,” a community garden in Weston for inner city residents. Deke often made his commute from Weston to Cambridge on his bike while other commuters carried their briefcases in the elevator, Deke carried his front wheel. Raising three daughters in Weston, MA, Deke and Nancy were avid sailors, skiers and cyclists, and Deke distinguished himself as an accomplished bike racer, winning the Masters Division of the District Time Trials in 1981 and placing second in 1984 he also competed in three National Championships. He worked in this capacity until shortly before his death. In 1986, Deke left Harvard to become an educational consultant, operating out of both Cambridge, Mass. In addition to his work in the Development Office, Deke was one of the founding coaches of the Harvard cycling team and an advisor to many students. In 1977, he returned to Harvard as a Senior Development Officer he was also the Director of the $6 million renovation project of the Indoor Athletic Building. Following his work in Admissions, Deke became the Assistant Director of the Committee of the Permanent Charity Fund, now known as the Boston Foundation. While at Harvard, he was a member of the Fly Club.ĭeke began his career as a Math and Latin teacher at Groton School and then moved to Harvard, where he became Director of Admissions and Dean of Admissions at Radcliffe College in the years 1963-1970. At both Exeter and Harvard, Deke was an avid athlete, excelling in alpine skiing and mountaineering. After graduating from Shore Country Day School in 1950, Phillips Exeter Academy in 1954, and Harvard College in 1958, he received an Ed.M from Harvard in 1963. After a few years in Rochester, the Smiths moved to Marblehead, Mass. “Deke” Smith of Topsham, Maine, died Wednesday Augat the age of 77, following a brief battle with cancer.ĭeke was born in Rochester, NY to Doris King Smith and Gregory Smith on December 5, 1935. It all causes Elliot to say: “I wish I were younger - I had more zip.David K. The second floor will provide additional space for an business office and record keeping, according to Doris. For example, a part of the red wall with the name of the farm painted on it - which is next to the entrance to the retail store - will be incorporated into the new wall. Workers brought in a special equipment to remove soot and its smell off the brick walls to preserve what’s left of the two-and-a-half-century-old farm. The preparation for the reconstruction began in February with the removal of debris, Blood said. The community also got together in February to raise funds for the 20 employees of the farm, including part-time employees. “Everybody has been so nice to my wife and I.” Others simply wanted see the historic farm continue in business. Some of them were farmers who regularly took their animals to the Blood Farm for processing. Then, people started to call him, asking him to rebuild and reopen. “To tell you the truth, I am 91 and wanted to retire,” said Blood, who complains about gray hairs finally showing atop his head. As Elliot’s wife, Doris Blood said: “We built up instead of building wider.”Ī fifth-generation owner of the farm, Elliot said he wasn’t thinking about rebuilding initially.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |