Donald S. Smith

04/26/2001

Donald Spencer Smith, 74, of Barre, formerly of Pittsfield, died April 26 at Mary Lane Hospital in Ware. He was executive director of the Berkshire County Historical Society from 1967 to 1977. Born in New Haven, Conn., on May 17, 1926, son of Esther Richards Smith and the late Winford Spencer Smith, he attended schools there. He served in the Navy in the Pacific for two years during World War II. After his military service, Mr. Smith returned to Connecticut and attended Wesleyan University, from which he graduated with honors in 1950. He began his career in the museum field as an assistant curator at Old Sturbridge Village. He moved to Schenectady, N.Y., in 1952, where he was director of the Schenectady Museum for 15 years. He moved to Barre in 1977 and returned to work at Old Sturbridge Village until his retirement in 1992. Mr. Smith was an active member and former vestryman at Christ Episcopal Church in South Barre. He served as honorary director of the Barre Historical Society and was a member of the Barre Historical Commission, the Village Improvement Society, the Commons Committee and American Legion Post 2. He enjoyed music, art, photography, bird watching, gardening and shell collecting. He also enjoyed history and had written a book about his great-grandfather's Victorian calling-card business. Besides his mother, of Northford, Conn., he leaves his wife of 49 years, the former Bertyne Rice; three daughters, Karen Clark of North Reading, Robin Smith of Richmond, Va., and Ruth Smith of Hopkinton, N.H., and two granddaughters.

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