Clay Rice Smith

Clay Rice Smith, Jr., 73, a retired Army Field Artillery Lieutenant Colonel, died on May 7, 2013 from cancer. He was a resident of the Indian River Colony Club. Col. Smith was born in New York City and raised in Westchester County, NY. He graduated cum laude from Middlebury College in 1961 as the men's valedictorian, with honors in mathematics and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. In 1969, he earned a master's degree with distinction in Computer Systems Management from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. He entered the Army as a second lieutenant in 1961. During his Army career, he served two tours in Vietnam, first with the 4th Infantry Division and second with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He also served in Germany and Hawaii, and at Fort Devens, MA, Fort Sill, OK, Fort Bliss, TX, Fort Benning, GA, Fort Lewis, WV, Fort Ord, CA, Fort Leavenworth, KS, and the Pentagon. His military decorations included the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Joint Meritorious Service Medal, two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, two awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Vietnamese Armed Forces Honor Medal. He also held the Parachutist badge, Office of the Secretary of Defense badge, and Army General Staff badge. Upon his retirement from the Army in 1984, Col. Smith worked as an Army contractor on three of the largest Army automation projects: the Vertical Integration Army Baseline, the Reserve Component Automation System, and the Army's Sustaining Base Information Services. He retired from Northrop Grumman Information Technology in 2003. An avid sailor, he served as Commodore of the Catalina Region 2 sailing association in Virginia. He was a distinguished volunteer at the INOVA Mount Vernon Hospital Surgical Liaison Office and Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute in Alexandria, Virginia. He was also a Life member of The Disabled American Veterans Space Coast Chapter 123 and served as Chapter Adjutant and a volunteer Service Officer. Survivors include his wife of 45 years, Cheryl Smith, his brother, Evan Smith, and wife, Linda Smith, of St Petersburg, FL, and two nephews, Rowland Smith and Victor Smith. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society.