Daniel-Smith-Obituary

Daniel Laurence "Danny" Smith

Northport, New York

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Northport, New York

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A Note to His Children

Danny Smith had forgotten something. The plan was for his wife, Mary, to drop him off at the hospital, then return home before the children left for school so it was more like a normal day. It was not a normal day. Mr. Smith was to have a heart bypass operation.

Now, in the car outside the hospital, he asked his wife for paper and pen. He was only 47, but he had been orphaned at 15 when his father, a former New York homicide detective, died of a heart attack; his mother had died of cancer. He did not want his own children to experience what he had, but Mrs. Smith had just regained her health after breast cancer, and now here he was, arteries blocked, about to have heart surgery. So he scribbled notes to his daughter, Elizabeth, 14, and his son, Michael, 12. "I will always be with you," he told them, underlining always. "Listen to Mommy," he told them. "I love you," he told them. Just in case.

But Danny Smith awoke in his hospital bed, his life, his vigor, his humor intact, with a nurse asking him to rate his pain on a scale of 1 to 10. "Thirteen and a half," he croaked, according to his wife. Off the scale, but then, he was 6- foot-5, so perhaps that was to be expected.

The Smiths met when they were students at Fordham, working at Willie's College Deli. Mary Smith saw the man she had married — the one who baked her a cake each birthday and vigorously scrubbed fresh fruit for her to prevent infection while she was ill — as larger than life, measured in feet and fervor both.

In July 2001, two months after his operation, Mr. Smith started work at Euro Brokers in the World Trade Center. In late September, Mrs. Smith gave the notes to their children.

Guest Book

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We where friends in grammar school (St. Joseph's / Kings Park) and then high school (St. Anthony's / Sn Remo). We where football teammates and then business partners. You where always part of my family. I think of you often Danny. I will never forget the times of our lives that we shared together. I will always love you my friend.

Our sincere condolences we send. Words will never remove the pain of loss to your family. However, may you always get support from God daily to be able to cope. Dan is still missed and will always be remembered.

God bless Daniel Smith. I pray for my cousin (his wife Marion) and his children that they can heal.

Seventeen years later I still miss my big brother. I love you Danny.

Dear Daniel Smith Family,
thinking of you as of all the victims of this horiffic day. May God embrace you daily, comfort the children, now young adults.
Peace and Blessings.
Best Regards,
from a Mother,who had lost her Pilot son on this never-forgotten day of September in 2001

Dear Smith Family, it's been a long time since we've seen each other (T-Ball with Ryan and Michael) but I think of Dan often and motivate our Coast Guardsmen to do their best while protecting our county in order to uphold the memory of of your husband and father. May God Bless you and watch over your family as I know Dan is doing the same.

As I cross-stitched your name on the memorial that I am doing for all of the victims, I prayed for you and your family. Please know that your death was not in vain. We will always remember. God Bless.

In remembrance....

...your name jumped out at me from our Memorial Wall today Dan, I think of you often...

JB