Walter Smith - Obituary

alter Monroe Smith, 95, of Annapolis, died October 19 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. Born on September 18, 1917 in Washington, DC to the late J. Rosser and Sadie Smith, he attended Washington, DC schools. Walter graduated from Eastern High School in 1935, where he was in the Cadets and on the Rifle Team, and was an award winning marksman. He attended Georgetown University and graduated from Georgetown Dental School in 1943. As a youth, he spent every summer on his grandparents' farm in Orange, VA, helping take produce from the farm to the mill in town by wagons pulled by mules. Walter served as Captain in the Army Dental Corps during World War II and was stationed at Lawson General Hospital in Atlanta, GA and later at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, DC. Walter married Lt. Connie Mae Rish, an Army nurse, on October 6, 1945 at Fort Jackson Army Chapel in Columbia, SC. After serving in the military, he continued practicing dentistry for 43 years in Washington, DC and College Park until selling his business in 1986. He worked for Drs. Miller and Ressin in Greenbelt, MD until retiring in 1989. Walter was active in the DC Dental Society and the Southern Maryland Dental Society, and was a life member of the American Dental Association and Psi Omega Dental Fraternity. He and his wife built a home in University Park, MD, where they lived until his retirement when they moved to Heritage Harbour in Annapolis. He was an active member of University Baptist Church in College Park, where he was a past Deacon/Trustee. Walter became a member of the Masons in 1949, holding a life membership and was part of Naval Lodge #4, joining Annapolis Lodge #89 after moving to Annapolis. He was also a 60-year member of the Scottish Rite Masons (32°). Walter's greatest hobby was fishing and he loved being in the outdoors and enjoying nature. He was a long-time member of the Maryland Terrapin Club and had season tickets to the football games for many years. He is survived by his wife Connie Mae Smith; two children, Pamela Joan Allison and her husband Mike, and Cindy Louise Smith; a granddaughter, Sarah Allison Hall and her husband Lloyd; and two great-grandchildren, Brandon Michael Allison and Hailey Allison Hall. Walter is preceded in death by a grandson, Christopher Allison. Friends are invited to Walter's Life Celebration on Wednesday October 24, from 10:30am until a memorial service begins at 11:30am at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to University Baptist Church, 3515 Campus Dr., College Park, MD 20740.