Necrology

Gordon Ritchie Smith '47

Jun. 19, 1926-Mar. 16, 2006

Gordon Ritchie Smith ’47, an obstetrician and gynecologist who practiced medicine in Monmouth County, NJ, for over 40 years, was born on June 19, 1926, in Aurora, IL. His parents were John R., a utility company manager, and Naomi Middleton Smith, an artist. The family moved to Monmouth County when Gordon Smith was a child, and he prepared for college at the Peddie School in New Jersey. He came to Hamilton in 1943 and joined Delta Kappa Epsilon, but withdrew from the College in the spring of 1944, following his enlistment in the U.S. Navy.

Gordon Smith entered the Navy that year and served in uniform through the end of World War II. He returned to the Hill in the fall of 1946 to pursue a premedical course of study. He also became much involved in the musical life of the campus as a member of the Choir, Glee Club, and Musical Arts Society, and leader of the College Band in his senior year. Awarded the Nelson Clark Dale, Jr. Prize in Music, he was graduated in 1949.

Thereafter, Gordon Smith enrolled at New York Medical College, where he obtained his M.D. degree in 1953. He returned to New Jersey to establish a general medical practice. Later, he served his residency in obstetrics and gynecology at St. Luke’s Woman’s Hospital in New York City, and, while residing in Rumson, became chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank. His leisure time was devoted to sailing and skiing.

In 1992, Gordon Smith moved to Shrewsbury, NJ, where he continued to live in retirement. He died at nearby Riverview Medical Center on March 16, 2006. Predeceased by his first wife, the former Maydawn DeVoe, whom he had wed in 1951, he is survived by his second wife, Susan T. Smith. Also surviving are a son and daughter from his first marriage, David R. and Christina D. Smith, and a stepdaughter, three grandchildren, and a sister.

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