Eben Elliott Smith Jr.

Eben Elliott

Smith Jr. Eben Elliott Smith Jr., 84, died peacefully on Monday, September 27, 2010, at Hospice House in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 16, 1926, to Eben Elliott Smith Sr. and Priscilla Dimick Crosby.

Eben lived with his younger sister, Priscilla "Suki" Christoffers, and his parents in San Diego, Los Angeles, Providence, Jacksonville and Washington, D.C. He attended St. Albans School.

In 1944 he enlisted and served in the Philippines in the 632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion, and upon returning attended Brown University under the G.I. bill, earning a B.S. in Geology.

He worked in D.C. as a cartographer with the Army Map Service from 1953 until 1962, then as an analyst at the Foreign Science and Technology Center from 1962 until 1983, where he used his cartographic skills and his knowledge of Russian. When FSTC moved to Charlottesville in 1970, he followed with his family for what he called "the best years of my life." After taking early retirement from his career, he drove a Jaunt bus, making new friends while traversing the area, then collected gypsy moth data, trekking across the Albemarle County landscape.

Over the years, Eben volunteered for numerous causes. In Northern Virginia he maintained trails through the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and assisted the Greenbelt Consumers Cooperative and Northern Virginia Fair Housing. In Charlottesville he was an active member of the Temple Beth Israel buildings and grounds committee, helped with construction on the Sunday School, and participated in Hadassah activities. He assisted Meals on Wheels, relished being an Ivy Creek trail guide, served on the Board of Directors for Citizens for Albemarle, and was a Vice President in the National Railway Historical Society. Since 2003 he has been an active member of the Unity Church. One of his most significant contributions has been to the Rivanna Trails Foundation, where he served as a founding member of the board since 1992, creating maps and historical records and helping build the loop trail around Charlottesville.

Eben met Martha Florence Rozman at Army Map Service, they married on September 1, 1957, and supported each other until her death on January 18, 2003.

He is survived by three children and their spouses, Gary Michael Smith and Debbie Smith, Gayla Michelle Mills and Eugene Mills, and Gregory Mitchell Smith and Erika Herz; four grandchildren, Justin and Talia Smith, and Cole and Kienan Smith; and a great- grandson, Leo Smith. Eben also shared his life with Cyndi Lou, Corky, Dawny, Tippy, Old Bay, Dory, and Tasha; and friends too numerous and dear to recount.

A memorial service will be held at Hill and Wood Funeral Home, 201 North First Street, 2 p.m. Saturday, October 9, 2010.

The family suggests that donations be made either to the Hospice of the Piedmont or to an organization of your choice.



This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.