Barron Smith

Barron Smith (81), long-time resident of San Carlos, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 1st, 2008. A beloved husband and man of profound faith, Barron dedicated his life to bringing music to the world. Born in Florida in 1927, Barron gave his first piano recital at the age of five and his first organ recital at eleven. He was accepted at Curtis Music Institute in Philadelphia as the youngest student of the organ in history of the school and, at the age of 19, was appointed to the faculty of Westminster Choir College as one of the youngest university faculty members in the country. He spent his lifetime pursing a ministry of music at various churches and educational institutions, including St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Daytona Beach, Fla.), Church of the Redeemer (Bryn Mawr, Philadelphia), the Presbyterian Church of Hollywood (Hollywood, Calif.), the University of Southern California (Los Angeles, Calif.), and Church of the Epiphany Episcopal (San Carlos, Calif.) Barron played countless concerts both in the United States and Europe and recorded four albums, one of which was nominated for a Grammy Award for sound in 1957. His unflagging faithfulness, his generosity in sharing his talent, and his loving nature will be sorely missed by all those who knew him. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ruth. A memorial service is planned at the Church of the Epiphany, Episcopal, (1839 Arroyo Ave., San Carlos) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 20th, 2008. Those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to consider the Curtis Institute of Music, the Parkinson's Foundation of Northern California, or the Church of the Epiphany, San Carlos.