Richard "Dick" Lewis Smith

Richard “Dick” Lewis Smith, 86, of Hamilton, Montana passed away on Monday, September 11, 2017 at Valley View nursing home. Born in Boise, Idaho, to Alfred and Charlotte Smith in 1931, he was brought up first on a cattle ranch and then in Boise, where he went to school. He lived and worked in many states and abroad, but settled in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley 14 years ago.

Dick was a Navy veteran and pilot in the Korean War, later serving in the Idaho National Guard, rising to Master Sergeant. He gained an MA in Business Administration from George Washington University.  In 1953, he married Georgina Miller and they had two boys and a girl. His early career was in office machine sales & marketing, then venture capital in Silicon Valley, where he took several companies public. He was very good at motivating people, which led to his helping others as well as maintaining long term friends. He became a visionary entrepreneur in telecommunications and agricultural areas. With AZ Comm, he invented an Internet & long distance telephone kiosk long before they were popular. It could also make copies and translate English into different languages, but he was unable to raise enough funding, despite a lot of interest. He later used his skills as a consultant to nurture start up businesses, but few of these succeeded in today’s more difficult financial climate.

Dick loved the outdoors, enjoying hunting, fishing and kitchen gardening.  He grew a wide variety of tomatoes and gave many away. He loved to talk and tell stories of his exploits around the US or abroad, but was also a good listener.

He is survived by his wife: Mary of Hamilton, sister: Charlene Strahler & husband Joe of Cascade, Idaho, and preceded by his younger brother, Walter, whose wife Rene lives in Ridgecrest, California; four children: David Smith & partner Daisy of Charlotte, North Carolina, Suzanne Bennett & husband William Dunaway of Santa Clara, California, Richard Smith Jr. of Tucson, Arizona, and Cameron Smith of Hamilton, five grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

His Memorial Service will be at 3pm on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Daly-Leach Chapel, W Main Street, Hamilton, followed by a Reception.

  Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.