Smith, Gary
1945 - 2018
Gary L. Smith, 72, passed away in Columbus, OH on Tuesday, January 23 after a short illness. Born May 16, 1945 in Galion, OH, he is survived by his daughter, Emily Smith of San Francisco, CA; sister, Patricia Ebersole of Chesterville, OH; brother, Jack Smith and his wife, Joyce of Plattsburgh, MO; beloved aunt, Margaret Jagger of Mt Gilead, OH; nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Earl J. and Virginia (Peoples) Smith, his partner Richard Engel, and his brother-in-law Ernest Ebersole. Gary was a graduate of the first class at Highland High School in Sparta, OH, and received his BS from The Ohio State University in 1967. He was awarded his Masters (1970) and Doctoral (1975) degrees from Kent State. He taught at the College of Wooster and was a faculty member of Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA, and Capital University, in Columbus, OH, transitioning to the role of Dean of the Adult Degree Program at Capital before joining Carlow University, Pittsburgh, PA, as Provost. He retired from there in 2010. Gary spent his career working with the essential belief that people can achieve more than the expected. He created ambitious theatre programs at Mercyhurst and Capital, developed the Adult Degree Program at Capital to ensure non-traditional students the opportunities to succeed, and worked with his colleagues and faculty at Carlow to transition from college to university status. His love of the theatre, its history and the politics around it, and the stage craft and musicians and writers and actors who made every production special, was a lifelong gift. His belief that we should have more parties was unwavering—he would want you to have more parties. He lived and loved well, and is deeply missed. A service of remembrance will be held for family and friends at 2:30 pm Sunday afternoon, January 28 at the Chesterville United Methodist Church, 115 E Sandusky St, Chesterville, OH. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Mount Carmel Foundation Hospice Fund of Columbus, OH, an organization that provides exceptional care and love, in memory of Gary. Please visit www.OhioCremation.org to leave the family an online condolence.
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1 Entry
I will always remember Gary as a vigorous and highly effective president of the Alliance, an association dear to my heart and important in the history of alternative higher education in the USA. And i have especially fond memories of an Alliance meeting in Ohio, when Gary was a generous and very gracious host to so many of us who attended. I will miss him. tom rocco
February 17, 2018
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