Sheldon "Shelty" Smith Jr.

1970 - 2016

Sheldon Smith Jr., 46

CAPE ELIZABETH - Sheldon "Shelty" Smith Jr. of Cape Elizabeth, passed away after a long period of illness, at his home Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016.

A native of Summit, N.J., Sheldon was born July 24, 1970, in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., the son of Dr. Sheldon V. and Suzanne A. Smith. The family moved to N.J. in 1972.

He graduated from Summit High School in 1988 and went on to earn a bachelor's of science in geology from Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., in 1992. After graduation, Sheldon moved to Portland, and pursued his passion for oceanography and geology by working for the Friends of Casco Bay, and in his free time working as a brewer for Gritty's Brewery.

He then moved to Amherst, Mass., where he completed a master's degree in climatology at UMass-Amherst in 1997. From there he began working at Lucent Technologies in Andover, Mass., and simultaneously completed a second master's degree in computer science at Boston University in 2000. In 1999, he married Alina Perez and they moved to Cape Elizabeth in 2002. They had three children together, Maria, Ethan, and Dara. In 2004 Sheldon began working at Woodard and Curran as a senior environmental engineer.

In 2015, he moved to a position at SGC Engineering. He was a board member and volunteer at the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust from 2009-2015.

Sheldon loved the outdoors, especially being on the ocean and in the woods. He was a true Renaissance man - a gourmet cook, sailor, painter, survivalist, hiker, climate scientist, software developer, wood carver, poet and gardener. He was most proud of his two three-month-long grueling and joyful expeditions conducting climatology research on the Agassiz Ice Cap. These expeditions were the epitome of who he was as a man: patient, smart and ever-resourceful. One of his favorite books was "Physics for Poets," which represented his passion for combining the pursuits of science and art.

He was a gifted chef who was able to recognize ingredients and replicate recipes by taste only. He loved to make others happy by cooking for them.

Sheldon will be remembered by his family and friends with love.

He was predeceased by his mother, Suzanne A. Smith of Summit, N.J. He is survived by his children, Maria (15), Ethan (12), and Dara (11), and former wife Alina Perez, of Cape Elizabeth; his sister and brother-in-law, Abigail and Phillip Wentworth, and niece Claire, of Greenwich, Conn.; and his father and stepmother, Dr. Sheldon and Deborah Smith Sr., of Pittsgrove, N.J.

Visiting hours will be held from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6, at Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Rd., South Portland. A private memorial service for family and close friends will be held Friday, Oct. 7, in Cape Elizabeth.

In lieu of flowers, a college fund has been established for Sheldon's three children.
Contributions may be made at: Ugift529.com
with Ugift Code G03-80E.