Richard Smach

Richard Earle Smach, 92, formerly of Silver Bay, passed away Wednesday March 25, 2020 at VA Health Care Systems in St. Cloud.

He was born October 19, 1927 to Laddie and Katheryn Smach of Berwyn, IL.  Dick was a veteran of WWII, serving in the Pacific.  He married Maryanne in Rochester, on February 11, 1950 and they lived in St. Cloud and South Haven for 38 years moving to Silver Bay in July of 1988.  In retirement they wintered in Cottonwood, Arizona for 18 years until 2002.

Dick worked for the Civil Aeronautics Administration after the war, as an electronics technician and was employed the rest of his career by Northwestern Bell Telephone Company, retiring in 1982.

Dick was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Silver Bay, the Mingus Gem & Mineral Club of Cottonwood AZ, Oak Creek Gem & Mineral Club of Sedona, AZ, the Carlton Gem & Mineral Club of Carlton, the Minnesota Archaeology Society, the VFW of Silver Bay, Eagles Club of St. Cloud, and the board of the Bay Area Historical Society. With Maryanne, Dick worked at   Hamline College and the Minnesota Science Museum of St. Paul on projects.

Dick enjoyed fishing, hunting, bowling, golf, his love of rock hunting, lapidary work and making silver jewelry, and his electronic and video projects   Dick was an accomplished silversmith, and did flintknapping (making stone tools and arrowheads), and spent much time in the garden growing tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers.

His wife Maryanne preceded him in death on January 26, 2010 after 60 years of marriage.

Visitation will be held from 11 AM until the 12 Noon Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Silver Bay.  In lieu of flowers memorials are preferred to the Solvay Hospice House in Duluth or the Alzheimer’s Foundation.