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In loving memory
Father, Engineer, butterfly man. Witty, insightful, fun loving. Always full of energy, charting his own path, but always including others in his journey of life, Dick was appreciated by many.
Traveler
Scientist
Explorer, Nature Enthusiant
Fond Memories
"Dick was a huge part of the butterflying community and will be irreplaceable. Besides being immensely knowledgeable, he was one of the gentlest and most patient people I have known."
Linda Hunt
"Your father’s passion and knowledge for butterflies is larger than words can describe. I have learned so much from your father over the years. The butterfly community is at a great loss."
Sue Muller, Howard County Department
of Recreation & Parks
of Recreation & Parks
"Very few people have made such a lasting impression on me like your father did."
David Ledwith
"He responded to every email, answered every question, and shared so much with the entire butterflying community. He is irreplaceable and will be greatly missed by all who knew him."
Fran Pope
Fran Pope
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His Favorite Places
Driggs
Grand Tetons
Friends and Family
Solider's Delight
Baltimore County
Sport
Running and Skiing
Westerm Maryland
Garret County
Lepidoptery, entomology, MES, Xerces. All words only those "on the inside" know. If you spent any time with Dick during Spring, Summer or Fall weekends at Soldiers Delight, in Western Maryland and on the Chesapeake, you know and appreciate his expertise, enthusiasm and patience with all those in the community.
PhD in Mathematics from John's Hopkins; 40+ years as a senior Engineer at the Applied Physics Lab. Setting an example for his children and others, he used his massive intellect to stoke other's curiousity and appreciation in all matters of physical sciences.
Along with Gloria, Dick loved to travel, but as you might expect, was never just a casual onlooker. Wherever he went, he was compelled to understand every facet of the locale: nature, food, culture, history, geology, music, weather, etc. His enthusiasm for traveling was felt by whomever joined him. Borrowing from Seinfeld, Dick was "deep, deep in the shag" on just about everything, but especially his adventures.
of a generous, patient and loving spouse, father and friend to many
Who Was Richard Smith?
Never one to sit around, Dick's list of favorites places focus on nature, learning and family. A photo album is being developed.
Keep Dick's enthusiam and energy alive! Sign up for our guest list and organize outings in Dick's honor.
Testinomials of Dick's Amazing Character
Richard Smith
In Memory
Richard H. Smith Jr (Dick) died on Monday, August 8 at 6am at only 71 years of age from complications sustained after sudden cardiac arrest the week prior while vacationing in Driggs, Idaho. Dick remained strong and active throughout his life. He loved spending time with his family, and enjoyed going for morning and evening runs, especially in natural spaces like those that surrounded his Idaho vacation home. In his last moments, he was truly doing something that he loved.
Dick was born on September 7, 1944 near Baltimore, MD, weighing in at a robust 10 lbs according to the farm's chicken scale. He received his Bachelors of Science in 1966 and his PhD in 1971 from Johns Hopkins University. He lived most of his life in Columbia, MD where he worked as an electrical engineer for the Applied Physics Lab for over 40 years. He recently retired in 2015. Throughout his life, he balanced his interest in physics with a love of nature. Dick championed environmental stewardship and was incredibly active in the Maryland Entomological Society and the Lepidopterist Society throughout the Delmarva area. He was the Secretary of the Maryland Entomological Society. (MES).
Lepidoptery is the study of butterflies and moths, and Dick was known as an authority on them. He ran outdoor learning expeditions and openly shared his logs and observations with others who studied these beautiful, elegant creatures. He was coordinator of butterfly species records for Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia for the USGS NPWRC website, "Butterfiles and Moths of North America." He compiled a comprehensive listing of the resident, annually migrating and immigrant butterflies of the Washington, DC area, which he described as "an accurate and realistic representation of what most butterfly enthusiasts, with some luck and perseverance over a period of several years, could actually find in the DC area." Another enthusiast summed up Dick's presence in this community, thanking him not only for his "many years of butterfly knowledge and experience", but also "for offering brilliant guidance, thought-provoking discussions, and incredible patience in answering my incessant questions."
He is survived by his wife Gloria and their two children, Warren and his wife Billie Jo of Ashburn, VA, and Michelle Smith and her husband Jason of Carbondale, CO; and by two grandsons, Liam of Ashburn and Kilian of Carbondale. Close relatives include Gloria’s sister Lorraine Kulbicki and her children, Elizabeth and Kathyrn; Gloria’s brother Bernard Style, his wife Mary Beth and children, Mary Grace and Matthew.
The Baltimore Sun Obituary can be found here
Read his daughter Michelle's touching story about her Father here
Donate In Dick's Honor
Honor the memory of Dick with a memorial gift to The Nature Conservancy. Please click on the logo below to honor Richard Smith and either Gloria, Warren or Michelle for whom to notify of your generous gift and lasting tribute.
How in the world did this happen?
Many of you have asked or probably thought "why or how" a young, active 71 year old man with his blood pressure and cholesterol under control could die so suddenly. After spending a week with pulmonary doctors and neurologists and incessantly reading, the best answer appears to be “sudden cardiac arrest" and "Electrical dysrhythmia."
Sudden cardiac arrest is not a “heart attack.” SCA apparently occurs when the electrical system to the heart malfunctions and suddenly becomes very irregular, whereas a traditional heart attack is based on blockage. With SCA, the heart beats dangerously fast. The ventricles flutter or quiver and blood is not delivered to the body. In the first few minutes, the greatest concern is that blood flow to the brain will be reduced so drastically that a person will lose consciousness and brain damage will occur. Death usually occurs very quickly, but because my Dad is robust and got relatively quick attention, he held out a week. In my Dad’s case, the brain damage was also very severe, contributing to his rapid expiration.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in industrialized countries; some reports suggest 500K deaths occur each year in the US with survival rates of only 2%. The majority of these deaths are due to ventricular fibrillation secondary to myocardial infarction, or "heart attack.”
If you’re curious or concerned, try searching for “sudden cardiac death,” “sudden cardiac arrest,” and "ventricular fibrillation.”
Dick on PBS
You know you've made an impact when you're featured on PBS on an episode of Outdoors Maryland. Click on the image below to watch Dick speak about his favorite subject.
Outdoors Maryland, Episode 2609, Aired 7/22/2014
Outdoors Maryland, Episode 2609, Aired 7/22/2014
