|
|
 This
year’s Grand Marshal Richard F. Smith, Jr. was one of
the Founding Fathers of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick
of Morris County NJ and its past president. Rich is
a member of the Irish American Association of Northwest
New Jersey. These two groups jointly organize and orchestrate
the parade, and have raised thousands of dollars to
fund the parade and has contributes to local charities.
Rich worked with Jimmy Dangler and the Sons in the effort
that moved the parade from Wharton to Morristown in
1991. He has been working on the parade ever since.
Through the years he sat as a member and then chaired
both the Parade Committee and the Finance Committee.
In all these years, he has never seen the parade as
a spectator. Rich is enthusiastic about his opportunity
to enjoy the entire event as Grand Marshall with his
family on the reviewing stand on the Morristown Green.
Rich was born in the largely Irish Vailsburg section
of Newark, New Jersey to Richard F. Smith, Sr. and Mary
Doris. Rich remembers Irish culture as a major focus
in his upbringing, but his maternal grandmother Juliet
Collins Doris told tales and sang songs that he would
much later discover had come straight from Ireland.
He knew that much of his family had come from Ireland.
Grandmother Julie and her husband Ed arrived before
Ellis Island opened. 34 first cousins with family names
like Collins, Scully, Lynch and Hannon contributed to
the Irish community.
His Grandfather Tom Smith, a Newark Policeman, a chef,
a boxer and a professional football player married Mary
Chedister. Tom claimed Irish roots and his face offered
sufficient proof. He hailed from Virginia, the youngest
of 16 children. Researching the Smith name is a future
challenge.
In 1978 Rich and Mary Ann Dempsey, a lifelong Morristown
resident were married. Their daughter Katie, 29, is
a graduate of Tufts, SMFA, and Northeastern. Kate lives
in Boston where she teaches deaf children and freelances
as an ASL interpreter. Son, Richard 3rd, 23, is a Hofstra
grad. Rich 3rd works at Smith Surveying and has followed
his dad into active membership in the Friendly Sons.
Rich is a professional land surveyor and has had his
office in Morristown for over 30 years. He has been
active in his profession throughout his career. He served
as president of the New Jersey Society of Professional
Land Surveyors, (NJSPLS) and has chaired many of its
committees. Rich was named a fellow of the organization
and in 1986 Surveyor of the Year. Rich is a Fellow of
NJSPLS. Last year Governor Christie appointed Rich to
serve on the State Board of Professional Engineers and
Land Surveyors.
Smith Surveying performs property and development surveys
of all types and specializes in the resolution of boundary
conflicts. Rich has been appointed Boundary Commissioner
by the Superior Court on many occasions. Rich is a Hanover
Park graduate. He keeps in touch with many of his classmates.
Rich attended Stevens Institute in Hoboken and Fairliegh
Dickenson in Florham Park where he focused on mathematics.
Mr. Smith taught land surveying as an adjunct at Morris
County College, Rutgers University and New Jersey Institute
of Technology within Essex County College. He is coauthor
of Madson on New Jersey Real Property Law, Road Access
Law: Successfully Handling Disputes, Boundary Law in
New Jersey, New Jersey Boundary Disputes, Legal Descriptions
and Surveying and numerous articles published in the
NJSPLS magazine. Richard has lectured for NJSPLS, NJ
Land Title Institute, Lorman Education, National Business
Institute in continuing education programs for Surveyors,
Attorneys and Title Professionals.
Playing guitar and harmonica are Rich’s favorite pastimes.
Sailing is a passion. Rich, with his friends and family
has sailed New England, the Chesapeake, the West Indies
and Little Egg Harbor for the last 25 years. Rich has
captained bareboat charters for more that 15 years.
Rich also enjoys playing lousy golf with his friends.
Always active in the community, Rich chaired the Recreation
Committee in Morris Township for many years and held
several positions in the Morristown Area American Little
League, including President for 3 years.
Pete Ecklund, a member of both the IAANJ the Friendly
Sons called Rich on the morning of his birthday to ask
if Rich was willing to serve as Grand Marshal of the
2012 Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Morristown.
Rich said “It was a grand birthday. I have been involved
in Irish culture and the Parade because I enjoy it.
I am humbled to be selected for this honor.” It will
be a grand day for a parade this March 10, 2012. |
|
