LELAND "DUANE" SMITH

Dear Smith Family,

Mr. Smith was my beloved counselor at Tam in the 1970s. It was not an easy time for me, and he was always a source of comfort and optimism. I had the pleasure of getting to know him again over the last two years, meeting in Marin for a number of breakfasts and lunches together, and occasionally running into him at Hayes Street Grill in San Francisco. It was so lovely getting to hear about his life, the joy he got out of working for the Symphony, and the gift...

Dear Smith Family,
Mr. Smith was a great counselor and teacher. My fondest memory of him was as my driving instructor and how he'd say to me, "speed up, Amy, speed up". He told me I was the slowest driver he'd ever had in his car. Thankfully I learned how to speed up, not only due to his skills as a teacher, but as a counselor. He helped me find my footing in high school and the many times I saw him after I graduated were always filled with laughter and memories. He was a wonderful...

Dear Smith Family,

I was lucky to know Duane Smith at Tam in the late 1970's. I'll refer to him as Mr. Smith even though I'm now 50, since that's the way I always knew him. I'll always remember Mr. Smith for his wry smile and great-hearted laugh. He was tremendously supportive to me during tough adolescent moments. I count him among the best of mentors. I visited him a few times after graduating high school, then college, then law school. Even though thousands of students had...