George A. Smith

Pawcatuck - George A. Smith, 86, of Pawcatuck, beloved husband of 57 years to Marjorie (Mowatt) Smith, passed away peacefully, Friday, April 30, 2010, at The Westerly Hospital with his family by his side.

Born in Boston, he was the son of the late Samuel and Katherine (Benoit) Smith.

Growing up, George attended local schools in the Boston area and furthered his studies at both at MIT and Harvard University.

Serving his country, George was a U.S. Army veteran honorably discharged in 1946 after spending much of World War II in The Philippines.

George was a boiler inspector at the Boston Naval Shipyard and eventually worked his way into becoming a planner and estimator for the Department of Navy. He retired in 1989 after 37 years of dedicated service, finishing his career with 13 years as the supervisor of shipbuilding in Groton and the Newport Navy Yard, Newport, R.I.

George was an avid Boston Red Sox fan who cherished every time the Red Sox beat the New York Yankees, and especially the series where Boston beat New York for the pennant. He also enjoyed watching the UConn Huskies women's basketball team and the Connecticut Sun. In addition to sports, George liked photography, fishing, painting, woodworking, and reading, especially anything relating to military history.

Besides his wife, he leaves three children, Maggie Morris and her husband, Les, of Faber, Va., Paul Smith and his wife, Kelli, of Plantation, Fla., and Peter L. Smith of Pawcatuck; five grandchildren, Keith Morris and his wife, Christian, of Summerville, S.C., and Jason, Jesse, Shane, and Alex Smith; and two great-grandchildren, Callie and Noel Morris.

He was predeceased by a sister, Evelyn Sheets and two brothers, Louis and Richard Smith.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, May 3, at the Mystic Funeral Home, Route 1, Mystic. Burial will be private at Massachusetts National Cemetery with full military honors.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation offering hope to patients and families affected by mesothelioma. (www.curemeso.org)

The Smith family invites you to visit www.mysticfuneralhome.com to share an online message of condolence.