051B82C3-C769-1B7E-A06F53CF56A92CF5
35FD37AD-4F18-49EE-B492086102E014DC

Gerald Hunt Smith '57

Aug. 11, 1934-Jul. 15, 2022

Gerald Hunt Smith ’57 died in Bath, Maine, on July 15, 2022. Born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on Aug. 11, 1934, he came to Hamilton from the Hotchkiss School in Salisbury, Conn. On the Hill, Gerry focused his studies on English literature, geology, and French, and was a member of Theta Delta Chi fraternity. He played on the golf team and was a member of the Charlatans, where his participation earned him admission into Alpha Psi Omega, the national theatre honor society.

After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and trained to be a helicopter pilot. On Dec. 21, 1957, he and Anne Day were married in her hometown of Bath. They had three sons.

Gerry’s nine-year military career included a stint as a flight instructor and serving for several years in east Asia. He was honorably discharged in September 1966 with the rank of captain, earning the National Defense Service Medal.

That fall, he and Anne became founding members of Capital Funding Corp., a financial services company located first in Fresno, Calif., and later in San Francisco. For the next five years, he helped construct a computer and service network for the firm. 

In 1971, Gerry changed course and entered the retail department store business in Minneapolis, eventually rising to the position of production control manager for Dayton’s Department Store. Thus, he began a 26-year career in retailing and moved to different parts of the country to work for a series of stores. He retired in 1996 as vice president for loss prevention for The May Department Stores Co. in St. Louis.

The family then went back to Maine. They lived in an 18th-century house in the town of Dresden, near Anne’s hometown. There, Gerry worked for his next-door neighbors, the Goransons, who were setting up an organic farm. He created tracking systems for everything from planting schedules and equipment maintenance to sales tracking and picking lists, among other things. When not in front of a monitor, he could be found driving a tractor. He also volunteered for the Service Corps of Retired Executives, a part of the national organization dedicated to mentoring small-business owners, no doubt providing the same sorts of services to others in mid-coast Maine that he did for the Goransons.

In his leisure time, Gerry worked the daily crossword puzzle in the Portland Press Herald, went fishing, and joined his sons and their families at a second home in Belgrade, Maine. He and Anne also traveled from time to time, often visiting Arizona, where their youngest son, Stephen, resided.

Gerald H. Smith was predeceased by his wife. He is survived by his three sons and their families. 

Necrology Home

Help us provide an accessible education, offer innovative resources and programs, and foster intellectual exploration.

Site Search