Winston Palmer Smith

1938 - 2020

Winston Palmer Smith

Winston Palmer Smith died peacefully at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House in Scarborough, Maine on August 30, 2020, after a two year struggle with Dementia and Cancer.
Win went to Southside High School in Long Island, NY, and graduated from Bucknell University in 1960. After serving two years in the National Guard, Win began a career in Sales, starting in Manhattan with RCA and Monchik Weber, and then with the burgeoning long distance telecommunications business. It was with MCI in 1983, as Regional Manager of Sales and Marketing, that he ran a "free call for all" marketing campaign in Newport, Rhode Island during the "unfortunate" America's Cup Regatta, cementing a love for it's beautiful town and captivating harbor.
Throughout the years, he and the family enjoyed trips to Europe, Bermuda and the Bahamas with old friends, and visiting dear friends and family on Lake Newfound in New Hampshire, Fire Island and Rye, New York, Nantucket, the Cape, Charlotte and Maine. A lifelong fan of driving and cars, Win bought a home across the street from Limerock Race Track to enjoy the scream of the Formula 4 race cars. For many summers, he invited friends and family to join him "in the pits". He also loved taking friends on his famous Pub Crawl of Manhattan where he adeptly drove into the city and double parked at all his favorite places.
Win's work would take him and the family from Manhattan, to Wilton, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Atlanta and then back to Westport, Connecticut, where he retired from Motorola Corporation. He and Susan then decided to head back to the place they enjoyed most - Newport, Rhode Island. They enjoyed 20 wonderful years in the Historic Hill neighborhood, where they both volunteered at Trinity Church and where he felt honored to volunteer as Docent and Usher. As a volunteer for the Newport Museum of Yachting, he maintained a beautiful wooden boat, Parisi, was a member of the English Speaking Union, President of the Historic Hill Association and proud member of Newport Rotary. However, Win was most in his element at his job as "Captain" on the Newport Harbor Shuttle Service, where he spent happy summers bringing visitors and friends around his beloved harbor.
Win was a dapper, warm, and loving man with a great sense of humor who radiated kindness to all. He was the perfect gentleman and a wonderful father, grandfather and husband. He and Susan shared an amazing 58 years together. He is survived by his wife, Susan, his children, Hilary (Sarah Boeckel) and Winston (Betsey Smith), his brother, Hale (Claire Smith) and his grandchildren, Gwyneth, Eleanor, Rose and Winston Junior.
A Memorial Service will be held at Trinity Church in Newport on October 24th at Noon.