Thomas H. Smith

Thomas H Smith, 90 of Poughkeepsie, NY died October 26, 2026. wished his obituary to be a personal statement so here are his words.

On Easter Sunday of 1936, in a New York City hospital, my mother Charlotte and my father Henry brought me into this world to join them and a sister named Joan. Within a few years, we all moved out of the metropolis to a residential suburb in Queens to start a different lifestyle. The town was called Laurelton

While living there for both my childhood and teenage years. years, I was educated by the NYC school system. By the time I had graduated from High School, I was completely fascinated by mechanical things and continued my education to understand Auto Mechanics. Upon completion of that advanced training, I secured a position with World Wide Motors, the US Importer for all Volkswagen vehicles. After a reasonable time there, I realized that I had a job and not a career so in 1955, I entered Hofstra College as a freshman to continue my formal education. Four years later I had earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. Immediately after that ceremony, I was then sworn in with an ROTC Commission as a Lieutenant in the United States Army.

Upon completing my military active-duty assignment, I returned home to Laurelton to marry my hometown fiancée, Phyilis Crossley. Phyllis and I soon moved to Hamden CT and with my Degree in IE, I began working for Anaconda American Brass Co, assisting them in running a Brass Mill. During the early 1960s the writing was on the wall that the brass industry was a dying industry, being replaced by aluminum and plastics. With some data processing training I received in the Army, the IE Degree and now some factory experience, I secured a position in the Manufacturing Division of IBM and Phyllis, and I relocated to Poughkeepsie NY, to start my 29-year career there.

We had now found our niche, bought a house and started working on a family. In 1965 Nancy was born and in 1972 our family was completed when our son Brian joined us. With a comfortable place to live and a secure place to work in a vibrant community it was time to create a lifestyle that would support our family's development and interests. Along this journey my family has grown larger because Nancy has given me a son-in-law, Gary Ryer and two lively and creative grandchildren, Annika and Stefan. Brian, with his partner Katherine, gave us an additional intelligent and adventurous grandson, Ryan.

In my adult years I have had three personal activity passions, Motorcycles, Skiing and Hot-Air Ballooning. There are four special friendships I must recognize now because they were with me as I progressed through these passions, Bob Auchincloss, Dave Ghostlaw, and Rudy Schwenker.

My motorcycling interest started by rebuilding a 20-year-old Harley Davidson and then using it to commute to college. In the 60's I switched to off road competition in trials and enduros. After I accumulated many wins, I reverted back to road riding again and as a result I have visited over half of the United States plus four Canadian Provinces.

My skiing career also started in college when I became President of the Hofstra Ski Club. I have skied in most of the mountain ranges from the Allegany Mountain range in the East to the Rockies in the West plus Heli-skiing in the Canadian Rockies. I have also vacationed for alpine skiing in France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. The highlights of my many memorable ski ventures began in 1960, when Phyllis and I took a a two-week motor trip honeymoon through New England, skiing at nine different areas. One of the later highlights came decades later when Phyllis and I spent our 25" wedding anniversary skiing in Zermatt, Switzerland on the Klein Matterhorn Glacier.

My ballooning interest began as I became a partner in ownership of Rudy's balloon Friendship in 1975. It has been the ultimate friendship for over 5 decades. This experience has been an extreme highlight in my whole family's life too. My many years of ballooning also has brought much happiness to a plethora of our friends, passengers and crew members. Although there were many ballooning flights and events that I can specifically recall none can compare to our experience flying over opening ceremonies as part of the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. One of the things I am proud of is that my son Brian has kept this family tradition alive as he is now owner and pilot of his own balloon.

During my exciting and fruitful lifetime, I have always had a personal objective to create a bonding relationship with many people. I lived my life with the simple religion of "Do. something every day that makes me happy and do something every day that makes someone else happy''. Over the years and many miles, I cherish the many friendships I have accumulated and maintained. Hopefully, I have made a positive difference in this world while living here on Earth.

No public services are planned. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Walkway Over the Hudson in Tom's name at www.walkway.org.