LACONIA --- Dr. William “Bill” F. Smith died on Thursday, March 9, 2023, after a long illness.
Bill was born in Hyannis, Massachusetts, on February 26, 1936, to the late Francis Henry and Mary (Motte) Smith.
Bill was a proud graduate of Falmouth High School, class of 1954. He went on to become a first-generation college graduate, graduating from Tufts University in 1958, and from Tufts Dental School in 1961. He started a solo dentist practice in Falmouth in 1961, and built one of the largest individual practices on Cape Cod. In 1981, the lure of the mountains of New Hampshire drew him north when a country home and a dentist practice became available. Bill practiced dentistry for another 17 years, retiring to a life of travel and outdoor adventures. He loved climbing up and skiing down the White Mountains. Bill was a long-time member of the Appalachian Mountain Club, climbing all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot mountains; Many of them multiple times.
He is survived by Claire (Davidson) Smith, his loving wife of over 66 years; his sisters, Nancy (Smith) Sharp and her husband Joseph of Falmouth, MA, and Diane Smith of Newton, MA; his children, Karen (Smith) Kelly and her life partner William Threadgold of Newport Beach, CA, Peter Smith and his wife Christine (Mason) of Ridgefield, CT, and Lauren (Smith) LaFleur of Sandwich, MA; his 6 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his grandson, Jordan Francis Kelly.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 15, at 11:00 am, at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, 300 NH-25, Meredith, NH.
A Celebration of Life will also be held in Falmouth, MA at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the St. Charles Borromeo Welfare Fund, PO Box 237, Meredith, NH 03253.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.