Dr. Richard Chandler Smith, Professor Emeritus of Forestry, 98, of Columbia, Missouri passed away on July 12, 2012 at University Hospital.

No funeral is planned. An anatomical donation was made to the MU School of Medicine. Subsequently, the body will be cremated and interred in the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery, Jacksonville, Missouri.

He was born September 10, 1913 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Eugene Reed and Gladys Wollesen Smith. He and his brother, Fred, enjoyed their boyhoods growing up on the shore of Lake Phalen.

While earning a BS degree from the University of Minnesota, he worked as a field forester for the U.S. Forest Service and then he became head forester for the American Creosoting Company, Louisville, Kentucky.

In World War II he was a Lieutenant in the Navy, assigned to the Bureau of Ships as an engineering officer. He inspected construction of vessels at 183 shipyards.

He married Ensign Mary Elizabeth Maldoon, Navy Nurse Corps, on October 16, 1944. She preceded him in death after 62 years of marriage.

After World War II, he received his Masters and Doctoral degrees in Forestry from Duke University. In 1947 he began 35 years of service as Professor of Forestry, University of Missouri, becoming the Assistant Dean of Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife and Director of Graduate Studies in 1974.

He was active in the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and was elected Fellow in 1977. He also served as secretary, vice-chair and chair of the four-state Ozark Section. He was a founder of the Missouri SAF and received the first Karkhagne Award for meritorious service. A 50 year Kiwanian, he served as president and long-time secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Little Dixie. An avid golfer, he played at Gustin Golf Course for 50 years and captained his faculty league team, but never made a hole-in-one. When he retired, his students planted a tulip poplar tree at the golf course in recognition of his service to the University.

Dick and Mary enjoyed retirement by traveling throughout Europe and especially loved England and Ireland.

He is survived by one son, Chandler C. Smith and his life partner, Holly Kingsland of Manhatten Beach, California: granddaughter, Caitlin Berube-Smith of Ft. Collins, Colorado: brother Fred Smith of Little Canada, Minnesota; niece, Deborah Johnson of Elk River, Minnesota, grand-nieces, Amanda Omodth of Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Emily Johnson of St. Paul, Minnesota. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kiwanis International Foundation.

use the following link to make a contribution online: http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/Foundation