Tributes

The Reverend Richard Smith, Pastor of St. Luke/St. Andrew Parish in Ocean City, MD passed away on October 30, 2014 at the age of 67. Fr. Smith was born on April 28, 1947 in Trenton, NJ and was the youngest of seven children of Charles and Elizabeth Smith. He served in the U.S. Army from 1966 until 1969. Before entering the seminary, he was employed for almost 20 years by Mercer County as Asst. Airport Operations Mgr. and Chief of the Crash, Fire, Rescue and Police Dept. He is a Life-Except member of the Colonial Volunteer Fire Co., Kuser Rd., serving in various administrative positions (Pres., VP, Sec., Trustee and Bingo/Ballroom Committee Chairman). Fr. Smith is a member of the International Fire Chiefs Assoc., NJ State Fire Chiefs Assoc., Mercer County Active Fire Chiefs Assoc. (past secretary-treasurer), Life Except member of the NJ State Fireman’s Relief Assoc., served as secretary of the Hamilton Twp. Fireman Relief Association. Delegate to the NJ State Firemen Assoc., and Elected Fire Commissioner of the 8th District of Hamilton Twp. Fr. Smith completed the NJ State Police Training program at the City of Trenton Police Academy and was a licensed NJ Fire Official, Inspector and Instructor.In 1976, he married Rita Buffin of Trenton, NJ who passed away on August 7, 1990. In 1994, Fr. Smith entered St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore where he earned a B.A. in Theology and M.A of Arts and Baccalaureate Degrees in Sacred Theology. In 2000, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Wilmington. Fr. Smith served as Associate Pastor of St. John the Beloved Parish in Wilmington, DE, Holy Cross Parish in Dover, DE and St. Luke/St. Andrew Parish in Ocean City, MD. In 2009, he was named Pastor St. Luke/St. Andrew Parish which was the position he held at the time of his death.Fr. Smith is predeceased by his parents, wife, sisters (Gennieve (Jean) Woods (Joseph) and Rita), brothers (Charles, Henry and Raymond (Eva)) and nephew (Joseph Woods, Jr.). Fr. Smith is survived by his brother Louis F. Smith and his wife Carmela, nieces; Cheryl Zukowski (Frank), Susan Woods Lubitsky (Tom Ridge), Rita Smith, Barbara Smith, and Luann Smolka (David), nephews; Raymond Smith, II (Karen), Patrick Woods (Jacqueline), Christopher Smith (Rose), and numerous great nieces and nephews. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church S. Olden Ave. in Hamilton. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Cedar Lane, Hamilton. Calling hours will be Wednesday evening from 6 - 8 P.M.at the M. William Murphy Funeral Home 1863 Hamilton Ave. in Hamilton. Visit www.murphyfh.com for additional information. Additionally, visitation (Nov. 3rd) and Memorial Mass (Nov. 4th) will held at St. Luke Church, Ocean City, MD. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Office for Priestly Vocations, Diocese of Wilmington Seminary Fund, P.O. Box 2030, Wilmington, DE 19899-2030, or the Catholic Church of your choosing.

Tributes

The Reverend Richard Smith

Obituary & Service

Flowers & Gifts

Tributes

The Reverend Richard Smith

Obituary & Service

Share a Memory Below

Flowers & Gifts