[Dialogue] Completed life of Dick Smyres

[Ron Griffith]

Many of you knew Dick Smyres - a colleague in the New York Region. I worked
with him at Bell Laboratories in Whippany, New Jersey and attended RS-I with
him in 1968. Beret and I worked with Dick and Ethel in the New York Region
for many years including helping with the gut-rehab of the former Roman
Catholic school in the Lower East Side that became the New York Religious
House. He was notorious for the chili that he served to those of us who
attend countless meetings at his home in Morris Plains, New Jersey. His
commitment, his steadfastness and his humor inspired all who worked with
him. His obituary is below.
Ethel may be reached at ethric at bellsouth.net or PO Box 1062, Penny Farms, FL
32079.
Ron Griffith
 
 
Richard Philip Smyres
June 23, 1927 - October 19, 2007
 
 
 
Dick was born in Congo, Africa, the middle child of the five children of
Methodist missionaries Roy and Esther Smyres.
 
Dick and his first wife, Joan Allison had three children: Steven Smyres of
McCoy, Colorado; Elizabeth Freeman of Burlington, Vermont; and Janie Tuerck
of Auburn, New Hampshire. Their mother died in 1969. 
 
In 1973 Dick's sister, Margaret Stockwell, introduced Dick to a close
friend, Ethel Wagner. They were married in1974. Ethel's children, Richard
Wagner of Denver, Colorado, Robert Wagner of Three Oaks, Michigan and
Kathleen Wagner Smith of Berea, Ohio became a part of Dick's family. 
 
Upon discharge from the Navy, Dick attended Sampson College, Hunter College
and R.C.A. Institute of Engineering. Following employment in Manhattan, New
York, he was recruited by Bell Labs of A.T.& T. specializing in underwater
cable development. He remained at Bell Labs in Whippany, New Jersey for
thirty-two years. Prior to his retirement Bell Labs transferred him to
Lucent Technologies. 
 
After retirement at sixty-six, he and Ethel planned and assisted in the
building of their dream house in The Poconos They remained in Stroudsburg,
Pennsylvania until they moved to Penney Retirement Community three and a
half years ago. 
 
Dick was afflicted by an undiagnosed illness for many years. Only in 2005
was it correctly diagnosed as Myasthenia Gravis.
 
Throughout his final illness he still maintained his marvelous sense of
humor. Dick loved camping, canoeing, hiking, traveling and woodworking. His
concern for the less fortunate, lead him to become involved in tutoring,
leading workshops, working in soup kitchens, and directing the building of a
complex for the homeless. 
 
Dick is survived by his wife, Ethel Wagner Smyres, their six children and
eleven grandchildren, and by his brothers and sisters: Robert Smyres, of
Penney Farms, Margaret Stockwell of Asheville, North Carolina, Mary Leonard,
of Skaneateles, New York and Ruth Zecchini, of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire.
 
 
A celebration of Dick's life will be held at Penney Memorial Church
on Saturday, November 10th at 2:00 p.m. 
 
 
 In lieu of flowers, you may send contributions to: Myasthenia Gravis
Foundation of America, Inc., 
1821 University Avenue-W, Ste S-256, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55104-2897.
 
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