William S. Smith

6/26/1947 - 4/1/2023

Waterford - William S. Smith, age 75, of Waterford, passed away at his home April 1, 2023, after a brief struggle with cancer. William was born June 26, 1947, in Far Rockaway, N.Y., to William J. and Pauline (Smallwood) Smith. Due to his father's career in the U.S. Navy, William and his family lived in several different states, including Hawaii, and California, before finally settling in Norwich. He graduated from Norwich Free Academy in 1965, and went on to earn an associate's degree from Mitchell College. He earned his bachelor's degree in English literature in 1970, from the University of Hartford.

William began his career as an agent for Metropolitan Life Insurance before taking a job with New York Life. He eventually moved on from New York Life to pursue a career in Financial Management, working for Howard Financial before ending his career at Professional Investors, Inc.

William is best known for his love of books. Over the years, he collected and sold hundreds of volumes, amassing a selection of over 3,000 books in his personal library. He was a prominent figure at both the Old Lyme Phoebe Library and the Book Barn where he was fondly referred to as "The Mayor." William could be found at every book, yard, library and estate sale in the area. In recent years, he expanded his interest to include unique prints and maps, which he often framed to sell. When not pursuing his passion for the written word, William would also spend time at the All Souls Unitarian Church in New London.

William is survived by his two children, Jason (Wendy) Smith and Rachael (Daniel) Fillebrown; as well as five grandchildren. William is also survived by his sister Jo Ann (Richard) Pultz of Florida; and his brother Russell (Nancy) Smith of California. He is predeceased by his parents; and his older sister Marilyn Janelle.

Per William's request, there will be no formal services. If you wish to acknowledge his passing, the family has requested a donation to Smilow Cancer Center of Waterford in his name.