Franklin Dean Smith

Franklin (Frank) Dean Smith, of Morattico, passed away in his sleep April 11, after a long illness.

Born on November 8, 1932, in Cherokee Iowa, Frank was a career naval officer who retired in 1981 with the rank of Captain. Following retirement, he engaged in defense-related enterprises in the Washington D.C. area and later owned a company that focused on captioning for the hearing impaired.

He married Carol G. Dawson in 1986 and they subsequently moved to the Northern Neck of Virginia, settling in the historic village of Morattico.

He was predeceased by his parents, Clarence and Clara (Stier) Smith of Cherokee Iowa.

His first marriage to the former Elizabeth Peregoy ended in divorce. They had three children, Scott Smith (Teresa); Elizabeth Connolly (Michael); and Alex Delmontage. His four stepchildren, Edward Baumann (Josie); Genie Eardley (John); Vicky Winger (Dane); and James Bauman, were close to their stepfather and he treated them as his own.

In addition, he and his wife Carol had a combined total of sixteen grandchildren and step-grandchildren.

Smith attended local schools in Cherokee, and received an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1952. After his 1956 graduation, he attended the Navy Supply Corps School, Athens GA., and later served on a destroyer (USS Hunt) out of Newport Rhode Island.

He served two tours teaching math at the Naval Academy. The latter part of his naval career included service at the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington D.C. and at the Westinghouse Bettis Plant in Pittsburgh PA. In 1964 to June 1966 he was the supply officer on the USS Maury out of Honolulu Hawaii with deployments to Columbia and to Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam. In June, 1968, he received a Master’s degree from Harvard Business School, and also attended the War College in Washington D.C.

Later he served at the U.S. Naval Supply Center in Mechanicsburg, PA, and at the Defense Department in Crystal City, VA. His final tour of duty was with the PAC Fleet Support Office in Honolulu.

Frank was a long time member of the Fairfax Hunt in Fairfax, VA, and served as President of the Club for several years. Recently he had a business marketing jewelry at the Kilmarnock Antique Gallery.

He was a member of St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Kilmarnock. Visitation will be at the Currie Funeral Home in Kilmarnock on Monday, April 16, from 4 to 7 pm with a Wake Service at 5:30 pm and a Rosary at 6:30 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Francis de Sales on Tuesday at 11 am, followed by a reception at the Church Hall.

The family suggests donations to Hospice of Virginia, 1328 Tappahannock Blvd., Tappahannock, VA 22560 or to the St. Francis de Sales Building Fund, 154 E. Church St., Kilmarnock, VA 22482.