Paul D. Smith ’51, May 4, 2013. A resident of Greenbrae since 1974, he was born in 1923 in San Francisco to Paul D. and Margaret Grover Smith and raised in Piedmont. He graduated from Piedmont High School in January 1941 and enlisted in the US Army Air Corps. Paul served in the European Theater of Operations during WWII as a Staff Sergeant and crash-rescue firefighter and was honorably discharged in 1945.
Paul graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in engineering and practiced as a licensed professional engineer specializing in fire and life safety. He was a life member in the National Fire Protection Association and served on the committees that developed fire sprinkler criteria. Additionally, Paul served the Kentfield Fire District as a Director from 1980 until 2003.
Paul’s varied interests included traditional New Orleans Jazz, dancing, inter-urban trains and steam locomotives. His photographs depicting early train transportation around the Bay Area in the 1920s and 1930s are widely published. Paul volunteered countless hours with the Boy Scouts of America, St Sebastian’s Church choir and the Western Railway Museum.
Paul, a devout Catholic, is survived by his wife of 62 years, Helen, with whom he raised seven children; Paul (Mary Ann); Brian (Traci); Sarah Jane Savage; Stuart (Dru); Daniel; Mary Ellen Wendt (Marc). He was predeceased by his son Mark (Maria) in 1999. He also leaves ten grandchildren.