On Wednesday, December 15^th Andrew (Andy) William Smith passed away suddenly to the shock and dismay of his family. While he had been in poor health due to long term heart issues, no one expected his loss to occur so soon.

Andy was a veteran of the Vietnam War where he served in the Army. He followed this up with a 22-year career in the Air Force where he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant.

On October 18, 1969 he married Joyce who was the love of his life. Together they raised a family of three children: Joanna, Annaliese and Marc-Eduard. Joanna was born nearly 10 years before Annaliese who was born six years before Marc. As a result, their household was filled with the energy of children for longer than most. His children were Andy’s pride and joy. He loved his family more than anything else.

One thing that can be said about living with Andy is that there was never a dull moment! His zeal for enlightenment, his thirst for knowledge and his excitement at new discoveries kept him curious throughout his life. He was a proud member of the Theosophical Society and spent his life studying their teachings. We lived in houseful of books and interesting discussions.

As his friend David said upon learning of his passing:

“He was so unique.  I loved his quick and natural intelligence—replete with a biting and refreshing sense of humor. I have known that he was brilliant since the day I met him. He repeatedly confided that despite his ailments, he was living the “good-life,”—the summum bonum. He loved and felt loved in return by his family; he was both nurtured and haunted by the pressing need to grasp and contemplate the secrets of the universe. He loved stories, and he loved music—even to the point of singing in the shower! He was indeed privileged in so many ways, and he understood this.  As he repeatedly told me, he was happy.”

He is survived by his wife Joyce Anne Kentner Smith; his daughter Joanna Cline and her husband Brian and son Emerson; his daughter Annaliese Spilken and her husband Ryan and children Stella, Greta and Margo; and son Marc-Eduard Smith and his dog Zeus, who Andy loved very much.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Andy’s honor can be made to Wounded Warrior Project or The Theosophical Society.