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Smith was the son of Lois and Burtt Russell Smith. He studied electrical engineering at Montana State College. He went on to Gonzaga Law School where he finished his J.D. in 1958. Smith joined IBM after law school and moved his young family to Poughkeepsie, starting a career in which he moved around the country with the company until his retirement in 1994 as Assistant General Counsel in charge of worldwide patent operations.
After IBM, Smith became a member of the law firm Morgan and Finnegan in New York City for five years. He was a member of the New York, Washington and Colorado bars. He was active in the Intellectual Property Owners Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association, serving as president of each organization from 1993-1994 and 1996-1997, respectively. In retirement, he remained active in the profession, acting as an expert witness in many high-profile intellectual property cases.
He is survived by his wife, Angelika, step-son, Peer; sons Todd, Craig and Mark; brother, Jerry and a sister, Linda. He is also survived by seven grandchildren.
A celebration of Smith’s will be held on Friday, Feb. 6 from 4-8 p.m. at the University Park Country Club in University Park, Fla. The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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