Shaw Blanchard Smith, 95, of Weston, died peacefully at his home surrounded by loving members of his family. Beloved husband of the late Donna Derbyshire Smith, Shaw was a veteran of the second World War in the Army Air Corps, the Naval Reserve, and the Merchant Marines. A graduate of the University of MA at Amherst and Northeastern University, he was the former president of F.W. Derbyshire, a family business that turned 100 years old in 2011. Under his leadership and direction the company entered the high precision machine tool area. Shaw was the most humble and honest person you could ever meet. He went out of his way to care for family and friends. He would like to tell the nurses that his mother Celeste was a medical doctor and his father Horace was a nurse. He also like to tell stories of his adventures during the second World War, crashing a training plane in the Army Air Corps and his experiences during his many trips around the World on a merchant ship during WWII.
He was the cherished brother of William “Wild Bill” Smith and his wife Barbara and the late Horace Clifford Smith, Jr. and George Henry Smith; cherished father, grandfather, uncle , and friend to son, Douglas and his companion Lauren; son, Stuart “Skip” and his wife Deborah and their children, Christina Killeen and her husband Sean, David Blake and his wife Robin and their children, and the late Andrew Chandler Blake; grandson, Derrick and his wife Kellie; great-grandchildren Zachary and Samantha; great niece Sandra; and his friend and loving companion Janice Towne. Shaw is also survived by a son, Frederick and grandchildren Robert and Rebecca; a nephew Horace Clifford Smith; a niece Audrey and her husband Richard Ray and their children and grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be held in the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park St. (at Natick Common) NATICK on Thursday, May 26, 2011 from 4-8 PM. A funeral service will be held in the funeral home chapel on Friday, May 27, 2011 at 11:00 AM to be followed by burial with military honors at Mt. Feake Cemetery in Waltham. Those wishing to remember Shaw may do so through memorial donations to the Andrew Chandler Blake Charitable Foundation Trust, 29 Coolidge St. Sherborn, MA 01770 or to the Alzheimer’s Assoc. of MA 311 Arsenal St. Watertown, MA 02472.