Laconia---Fred W. Smith, 89, of Foliage Lane, died on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 at his home.
Fred was born September 30, 1929 in Peekskill, New York, the son of Philip A. and Stella M. (Hanson) Smith.
Fred’s father died when Fred was a small boy so the family moved to his maternal grandfather’s farm in Hollis, Maine and he grew up there. He attended the local one room elementary school and following that he graduated from Hollis High School.
Fred continued his education by enrolling in and graduating from the Saco-Lowell Shops Apprentice Program at Biddeford, Maine and later attended the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and The Greater Boston Executive Program in Business Management at MIT in Boston.
Fred’s work history spanned a total of fifty years during which he held various engineering and management positions at Saco-Lowell Shops in Biddeford and Greenville, South Carolina, at Casco Products in Bridgeport, Connecticut, at Hitchiner Manufacturing Company in Milford, New Hampshire and O’Fallon, Missouri and at the Arwood Corporation, later acquired by Wyman-Gordon Company, in Tilton, New Hampshire. He retired from Wyman-Gordon Investment Casting Company in 1996 where at the time he was Divisional Vice-President with responsibility for the three non-ferrous casting plants of the company.
Fred was active in community work that included coaching several youth athletic teams in Little League baseball and basketball, being a Cub Scout Master, serving as Advancement Chairman for the Algonquin District, Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America, being a member of the Congregational Church of Laconia where he was a diaconate member and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, volunteering for several years in a local elementary school and at the Lakes Region General Hospital where he became Chairman of the Board of Trustees for that institution. He was also a Masonic member for over 60 years at Arion Lodge 162 in Goodwins Mills, Lyman, Maine.
Fred was honored by the New Hampshire Hospital Association for his leadership as chairman of the LRGH Board by being named Outstanding Trustee for the year 2005 because of his success in “leading the hospital through challenging times with strength and commitment to the community.” In 2006 he was presented with the Joseph Vaughn Award by the Governor in recognition of his leadership on behalf of older citizens of New Hampshire.
He was predeceased by two sons, Peter A. Smith, Fred W. Smith, Jr, daughter, Melanie R. Adams and brothers, Amos D. Boyden III and Stephen Boyden and a sister, Marita Howe.
Fred is survived by his wife, Elaine (Gauvin) Smith, four sons: Philip Smith of Queensbury, NY, Alan Smith of Windcrest, Texas, Michael Smith of Walpole, MA and Jonathan Smith of Lowell, MA; two daughters: Pamela Van Doren, of Whitewater, Wisc. and Patricia Smith of Nashua, NH; a sister, Janice Edwards of Portland, ME and one brother, Eric Boyden of Lyman, ME, as well as many grandchildren and great grandchildren. In addition to his parents he was predeceased by two sons, Peter A. Smith, Fred W. Smith, Jr, daughter, Melanie R. Adams and brothers, Amos D. Boyden III and Stephen Boyden and a sister, Marita Howe.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 11:00am at the Laconia Congregational Church, 69 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH 03246.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the New Hampshire Humane Society, PO Box 572, Laconia, NH 03247.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.