Richard Allen Smith November 11th, 1933 – January 24th, 2025 Dick Smith, 91, of The Villages, Florida, passed away at home on January 24th following a brief illness.
Dick was born in Trenton, New Jersey on November 11th, 1933, to Revere Paul Smith and Nellie (Heaton) Smith. Dick was the second of three children. The family was of modest means, living in Trenton’s government funded Donnelly Homes. At an early age, each of the children worked many jobs when not in school to help support the family during the Depression and Second World War. From elementary school on, Dick had multiple newspaper & magazine routes, worked full shift evenings in a gas station, and sold concessions from a family wagon at weekend auto races.
At the age of three, Dick began taking tap dancing lessons and shortly after began performing as ‘Dancing Dickie’ in amateur shows at local clubs for tip change. By the age of ten, he was earning $25 for appearances at higher-end regional clubs. At twelve, he began appearing at clubs in Philadelphia and New York City. For many years Dick performed in New York City with the Paul Whiteman dance band and occasionally appeared on the band’s television show. Dick graduated from Trenton High in 1951.
He married his high school sweetheart, Betsy Helen Quinn, in 1952. Dick began a career in data processing that year as a tabulation clerk for Standard Fire Insurance. Shortly after, he secured a similar position at U.S.Steel’s Fairless Works, then under construction in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, where he eventually moved into a department supervisory role. In 1959 Dick accepted a position with National Steel as Data Processing Supervisor, Midwest Steel and relocated his family to Chesterton, Indiana near where National’s Midwest Steel plant was being constructed.
He was appointed Manager-Management Services, Midwest Steel, in 1966 and General Manager-Management Services for Granite City Steel in 1972 after which the family relocated to the St. Louis suburb of Des Peres, Missouri. In 1974, Dick was appointed as Director-Management Services, National Steel Corporation. His responsibilities included corporate computer mechanization of mill systems, production control, accounting & other business systems, computer process control, technical systems, computer operations, and tele-communication systems. During his tenure with National Steel, Dick was responsible for many ground-breaking system development efforts and was considered a pioneer in the mechanization of business and process control functions in the steel industry.
He spoke regularly at American Iron and Steel conventions and was often cited in industry and computer-related publications. He retired from National Steel in 1981. In late 1981 Dick accepted a position with General Dynamics Corporation as Director – Computer Systems, Data Systems Division. He was responsible for corporate business applications, process standardization, and management service. In 1992 Dick and Betsy moved to Fairfax Station, Virginia where he worked at General Dynamic’s corporate headquarters. He retired from General Dynamics in 1994 and returned to the St. Louis area.
In 1998 Dick and Betsy moved to The Villages in Florida where he (in his words) ‘excelled at poor golf’. Dick is preceded in death by Betsy, his wife of fifty-six years, older brother, Gordon Robert Smith, and sister Betty Ann Mycock.
He is survived by their three sons, Richard A. Jr. (Mary) of Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, Thomas M. (Merry) of Manchester, Missouri, and Paul F. (Tammy) of Chesterfield, Missouri; grandchildren Ryan M. Smith, Anna (Benjamin) Barton, Jonathan (Kelly) Smith, Elisabeth (James) Link, Kayla (Matthew) Luther, Kathryn (Thomas) Towey, Jordan (Brendan) Monroe, and Grace Smith; and fourteen great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 6, at the Hiers-Baxley Life Event Center, 3975 Wedgewood Lane, The Villages, Florida, followed by a eulogy and remarks at 12:30 p.m. with refreshments to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the American Cancer Society. The Smith family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to the staff of AdventHealth Ocala, Vitas Hospice, The Villages, and Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services.
