Gerald "Mort" William Smith's Obituary
Mort, age 79, of Castle Shannon, passed away peacefully in his home with his family by his side on September 23, 2020. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years, Patricia Ann; Devoted father of Mort, Marlana and Mark (Sheri); Pappy to eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Mort proudly served his county in the US Army. He was a devout family man, spending many summers on Lake Erie with his family. His passions were AKC Beagling, hunting, fishing and football.
Visitation will be held on Monday, from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at JEFFERSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 301 Curry Hollow Road, PGH, 15236. Funeral mass and burial will be held on Tuesday, at 9:30 am at St. Anne Church and burial at 12:30 pm at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies.
Smith family favorite memories of Mort
-Mort was born in the Northside of Pittsburgh on November 24, 1940 to the late John J Smith and Amelia (Kumanchik). A twin to his sister Geraldine, brother to the late John R., Charlie, Henry, Patsy and Theresa.
-Early in his childhood, his family moved to Castle Shannon and became parishioners of St. Anne’s Catholic Church.
-Mort proudly served in the US Army, the 1st Infantry Division, also know as the Big Red One. His infantry was stationed in Germany during the Early Cold War at the Berlin Wall and provided a stabilizing influence for the rebuilding of Germany.
-Mort and Pat met in 1962 at Danceland in Westview, PA and danced for the first time. Shortly thereafter they were set up on a double date. They danced again and it was history. All dances after that were exclusive. They married in 1965 and started their family. They settled in Castle Shannon and spent 55 years of marriage together. They both believed that the key to happiness, love and raising a family was to have faith in God and to never to go to bed angry.
-Mort was a devout Catholic and family man, spending many summers on Lake Erie with his family. His passions were AKC Beagling, hunting, fishing and football.
-Mort’s family was a close-knit one, where all of his brothers and sisters would gather at his fathers home every holiday for a celebration. The events occurred just after Sunday mass and started with a big family breakfast which lasted 3-4 hours because we had to take shifts so that all of the families had their turn to sit and eat. After breakfast, the family photos occurred in shifts followed by and Easter egg hunt or the gift giving At Christmas.
-Many stories have been passed on. One that makes us laugh was the story told by Uncle Henry and Charlie about when the brother & sisters gathered to talk about the passing on of their father. They joked and said Mort could have his teeth/dentures and Mort screamed no way those teeth eat too much!! So Mort, Mark and I said the same about our Dad, we don’t want his teeth, they eat too much!!
-Mort’s oldest son, Mort will fondly remember Dad teaching him how to be a baseball pitcher. After spending all summer practicing and getting nailed by wild throws, some in very delicate spots, Dad convinced him to play short stop and that is where he thrived. Coho Salmon fishing with Dad in the fall was also a favorite time of the year. Originally, it was supposed to be just Dad and I. Then we decided to let Uncle Charlie join. That is in jest, Uncle Charlie and Dad always fished together.
-Mort’s daughter Marlana will cherish the memories of the great family vacations, especially the times when our family, Uncle Jack’s, and Uncle Henry’s family all squeezed into the small cabin at Lake Erie. And the time when cousin Marcie joined us at Erie was so much fun too! Going to the Beagle Clubs with Dad and Mom on the weekends was always a favored time . Mort, Mark and I would , play in the creeks and fields for hours. It was also super special to be able to play with beagle puppies every year of our childhood.
-Mark, Mort’s youngest son will laughingly remember when he was finally old enough to to join in on the fishing trips with the guys. Dad thought Marks was still too small so he tied Mark and his fishing pole to the pier so that he wouldn’t get pulled into the rough Lake Erie waters. So after Mark was untied he jumped into the water!! Mark also recalled the Erie vacations as his favorite time too. Especially when Uncle Jack and Henry’s families joined us because then he wasn’t the youngest Smith. Julie was now last in line for Uncle Jack’s infamous single file marches down the dirt road to the beach!
-Grandchildren and great grandchildren will always remember Pappy and the big Easter and Christmas dinner celebrations including the Easter egg hunts out in the back yard. Watching the Steelers games with Pappy was always a loud and rowdy time they loved! Playing with Pappys’s hair was always fun time (if it was Matthew it would be pulling his hair!) and sitting on Pappys lap to get warmed up just before bedtime.
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