David E. Smith

Dave Smith passed away on December 30, 2022, having filled 93 years with a zest for life. Raised in West Haven and Hamden, Dave settled in Hamden with his wife Margie, with whom he shared a wonderful life for 66 ½ years. He worked for Security Insurance (later Orion) for 47 years and then enjoyed many years of retirement. He loved playing the piano at home, church and elsewhere, wrote musical skits, spent endless hours on his beloved Steinway baby grand piano and played for services at Benchmark into the last months of his life. Dave loved aviation and built model airplanes and devoured books on all kinds of aircraft. He had a deep and solid faith and spent many years at Evangelical Baptist Church and more recently at Olivet Baptist Church. Most of all, Dave cherished time with his family and well into his 80s regularly drove hundreds of miles to be with them. He had a deep and cherished relationship with his precious granddaughter Jessica. As a parting gift to his family and friends, Dave recently wrote his autobiography, “Sharing Memories of My Life.” In addition to his beloved wife Margie of Hamden, Dave leaves his son David, grandchildren Jason (Jennifer), Jessica (Yanni) and Justin (Tiffany), great-grandchildren Jake, Jaret, Juliana, Niko and Noah, all of Ohio, and sister Carolyn Lewis. He was predeceased by his son Mark, and sister June Rice.
Friends may visit with his family on Thursday, January 5th from 4 to 7 p.m. and on Friday, January 6th from 10 a.m. until the start of his Prayer Service at 11 a.m., all at Beecher & Bennett Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Ave., Hamden.