Raymond Smart

1920 - 2015

MAYSVILLE -Raymond Palmer Smart, passed away peacefully in his sleep on June 18, 2015 at the Care Center at Kenton Pointe. He was born on Feb. 23, 1920, in Nicholas Co, the fourth of five children born to Fannie Palmer Johnson and John Carson Smart. His parents died before he was 12, so he was raised by his paternal grandparents. He graduated from Carlisle High School in 1938. On Sept. 12, 1941, he married his high school sweetheart, Jane Alexander. They celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2001, just prior to her death on Mar. 12, 2002. As newlyweds, the couple lived in Ashland, where Smart worked for the telephone company. He enlisted in the United States Army on Dec. 5, 1942, and served for three years in the Pacific, traveling with Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Brisbane, Australia, the Philippines, and New Guinea. Smart was one of a small team of men who maintained communications equipment that allowed the General to be in contact with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C. Other teams maintained similar equipment in places including London, Algiers, and later Paris. For this work, Smart was awarded the Bronze Star. The work of the teams was so specialized and secretive that details of it were not declassified until the 1970s. After the war, Smart started working for Bell Telephone as a central office repairman in Paris, Ky. In 1963, he was transferred to Maysville as a manager for Bell South. He worked there until his retirement in 1980. Soon after, Smart began a second career as manager of the Maysville-Mason Co. Recreation Park. His efforts on behalf of the park resulted in significant savings to the city and county governments over the years and on his 90th birthday he was recognized by city, county and state representatives. Smart was a longtime member of the Maysville Rotary Club, joining in 1963 and later as member emeritus. He was one of the founders of the long-successful farm sales held by Rotary in the '60s and '70s, working at the very first sale under the direction of Oscar Ellington. He served many offices in Rotary, including president, and was named a Paul Harris Fellow. Smart was a member of the First Christian Church for many years, in Paris and in Maysville. He often served as chairman of the building committee, was chairman of the church board, and an elder emeritus. Through these and other activities, Smart was always generous and willing to help others with projects large and small. In early years, as the father of four daughters, he was active in Girl Scouts, volunteering at the regional camp and day camps in Paris. Survivors include daughters Elizabeth (Randy) Runyon of Oxford, Ohio; and Catherine (James) Wells of Flat Gap; sons-in-law Louis Elvove of Paris and James Cline of Frankfort; grandchildren Whitney Clay, Emily (Sam) Roe, Catherine (Chris) Collett, John (Tracey) Cline, Matthew (Ginger) Cline, Zeke Runyon, Augusta Runyon, Jesse (Amanda) Wells, Miranda (Chris) Woodall, and Carrie (Matt) Carter; 17 great-grandchildren and a great-great grandson. His daughter Ruth Elvove died in May 2010 and his daughter Nancy Cline died in November 2013. Survivors also include nephew Robert Toohey, niece Jane Clay; and his long time co-workers at the park, Jerry Thompson and Charles O'Cull. Services will be 11am Monday at Carlisle Christian Church. Burial with military honors will be at the Carlisle Cemetery, where several generations of his family are buried, next to his beloved Jane. Visitation will be 3-6pm Sunday at Mathers-Gaunce Funeral Home and 9am Monday at the church. www.mathersgaunce.com.