Obituary for Paul Smee

The following obituary, written by Paul's brother Jim, appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Friday 22 September 2006

Smee, Paul Edward

Age 60, died September 15, 2006 in Bristol, England, succumbing to a heart attack while dealing with cancer. He was born December 29,1945 in Little Rock, AR to Doyle Francis Smee and Mae Dean Pyle Smee. He was named for his grandfathers, Paul Ernest Pyle of North Little Rock and Edward Jacob Smee of Booneville, AR. After brief residences in suburbs of New York City, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and then Philadelphia, the family moved to Upper St Clair, PA in 1957. Paul graduated from USC High School in 1963, and was first from that school to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. School was interrupted by military service in Vietnam (Office of the Scientific Advisor, Saigon) in 1966 to 1967. Paul was married twice: to Laurie Lord of Watertown, MA in 1966 and to Jackie Forbes of Sudbury, MA in 1976. Those marriages ended in divorce. In 1980, he moved to Bristol, England, where he took up residence with Ann French of Scotland, his life's partner for 26 years. Paul and Ann were Senior Systems Programmer and Computer Manager, respectively, at the University of Bristol until their retirement in 2004. Paul and Ann enjoyed long-distance biking and camping treks in the western US, and travel in Europe. Paul was basically brilliant, and an unpretentious free spirit with simple needs and a quiet, dry sense of humor. He is survived by Ann French of Bristol, England; by his mother in Mt. Lebanon, PA; by younger brothers James Doyle Smee (Elizabeth Mary Jones) of Mt. Lebanon and Robert Alan Smee (Eileen Lindquist) of Highland Park, PA; and by five nephews and a niece. Also David Paul Smee of San Francisco and Kristen Smee of Cork, Ireland, the children of his first marriage. Cremation and a funeral service will be in Bristol.

Text of Paul's funeral service