DUNCAN SMITH

SMITH, Duncan Accomplished Designer & Museum Director Duncan Smith, 88, of Peabody, died August 2, 2017, surrounded by his family and friends. Designated a "Great Bostonian" by Mayor Kevin White's Boston Jubilee 350 Committee, he had a long career in the museum and design professions around Boston & New England. Duncan was known for his quick wit, political insight, and ability to communicate complex ideas in both pen and voice; he inspired and mentored many associates with his knowledge of all things technical, his enthusiasm, humor, and charm. He will be greatly missed. Born in Chicago to Esther Loud Smith and Arthur Hensley Smith, Duncan's love of his adopted city began when he moved to Cambridge at the age of 14. He was an enthusiastic contra dancer in his youth, dancing with Ralph Page, and was a passionate lover of music, especially Baroque and Chamber Music, early Jazz and Bluegrass. After attending Browne and Nichols School and Oberlin College, he co-founded Contemporary Woodworkers, designing and building fine furniture from 1955 to 1964. His work was exhibited in the Boston Arts Festival and at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York. In 1965 he became head exhibit designer at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. There, he designed the Classical, Medieval, and Egyptian galleries and Forsyth Wickes Collection. When the Museum of Fine Arts and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York collaborated on the 1000th Anniversary of the City of Cairo, Duncan was sent to Cairo to design and install this international exhibition. In addition, he designed over 50 traveling exhibitions between 1965 and 1970. In 1970, Smith assumed the directorship of the Museum of Transportation in Brookline. His interest in the social history of transportation led to the expansion of the museum's collections beyond antique autos, introducing changing exhibitions, extensive educational programming, and special events at Larz Anderson Park in Brookline. Under Duncan's leadership, the Museum teamed up with Michael Spock and the Boston Children's Museum to create Museum Wharf on the Fort Point Channel in 1979. He served on the Boston Bicentennial Commission and on other cultural and educational boards. In 1981 Duncan co-founded Boston Museum Design Group (later Museum Design Associates) with David Seibert. Their collaboration yielded exhibits such as New England Begins at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Western Gateway Heritage Park in North Adams, MA, and Lobstering & The Maine Coast at the Maine Maritime Museum, among many others. Duncan also designed The Elegant Auto: Fashion & Design in the 1930's for the Portland Museum of Art. He retired in 2002. Smith was a lifelong sailor and was one of the founders of Constitution Marina in Charlestown. For many years, the Smiths summered on Deer Isle, Maine where Duncan was involved with the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. In retirement he returned to his passion for making small and large-scale mobiles, exhibiting and selling them in galleries. He was designing and creating these up to the time of his death. Smith is survived by his wife Joan Fowler Smith, of Peabody; his daughter Pi Smith, of Thetford, VT; his stepdaughter Sherri Fowler-Nagle of Rowley; his daughter Cary Smith Mondschean and her husband Thomas Mondschean, of Evanston, IL; his stepson, Kevin Fowler and his wife Mary Fowler of Shrewsbury; and his daughter Alexandra Smith Trusty and her husband Ryan Trusty, of Manchester, NH. He also leaves his grandchildren, in order of birth, Jeffrey Michael Nagle, David Ryan Fowler, Sara Katherine Nagle, Deborah Marie Fowler, Julia Hunter Mondschean, Abigail Louise Fowler, Anna Louisa Mondschean, Madeline Anne Fowler, Zia Bumpus Smith and Fiona Duncan Trusty. Smith's first wife, Jean Chapin Smith, predeceased him. ARRANGEMENTS: A celebration and party will be planned at a later date. Contributions in his memory may be sent to the Joan and Duncan Smith Scholarship Fund, Maine College of Art, Portland, ME. www.odonnellfuneralservice.com

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