William Bridges Smith

New Castle - At age 82, Will passed away peacefully on June 24, 2026 after a long illness. He was the beloved husband of 60 years to Marjorie Lee Smith of New Castle, NH; caring brother of Harry Leroy Smith, Jr. of the Woodlands, TX; loving father of Laura Lee Smith of Brooklyn, NY and William Bridges Smith, Jr. of Hancock, NH; cherished grandfather of Lee Catherine Smith and Clara Allen Smith; uncle to Alaina Sloo and the late Elizabeth McCandlish Smith; and great-uncle to Felix Sloo, Deirdre Smith, and Ethan Phipps. Will was born in Washington, D.C. to the late Harry Leroy Smith and the late Laura Sloo Smith, and grew up overseas in postings as far afield as Shanghai, Baghdad, Hong Kong, Santiago, and Athens. In one memorable episode, he and his brother Roy were confronted by some aggressive dogs in an Iraqi village; the two young boys kept calm and stood back-to-back to stare down the dogs until help arrived. They both considered this incident to be emblematic of their closeness and trust in each other. Will was an electrical engineer, and was responsible for design and implementation of numerous telecommunications systems for AT&T’s Bell Labs and ITT. He was senior vice president of ITT, Inc. and US West, Inc., and President and CEO of Telco Systems, Inc. He held electrical engineering degrees from the University of Maryland and Princeton University, and a PhD in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania. He met Marjorie, the love of his life, in Asbury Park, NJ, when he and a friend were in town for a bridge tournament and she had a summer job at the Berkeley Carteret. It was late at night, the story goes, and he kept going back for more food from the buffet as an excuse to talk to her. He asked her to dance then and there. Afterward, he asked her to find a date for his bridge partner. Both couples ended up marrying. He loved classical music, especially Mozart and Verdi, but he was fond of Garth Brooks, the Kingston Trio, and Gilbert and Sullivan. Tennis, skiing, bridge, travel, sailing, and dancing were activities he enjoyed. His children Bridges and Laura Lee recall him as a devoted father who told them stories at bedtime, encouraged them to memorize poetry, and taught them to play many games – even including a few of his own invention. Bridges cherishes the lessons he taught as a father by spending time together - the importance of grit and commitment learned when he coached Bridges’ little league teams, the nuances of strategy when playing bridge and chess, and generally the importance of living with integrity. Laura Lee also remembers him as a father who did not fight her battles for her, but instead helped her identify the problem and possible solutions, encouraging self-reliance and self-confidence. In retirement, Will served on the New Castle Zoning Board of Adjustment. He was moderator of the New Castle Congregational Church, and served two terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Stateside, Will lived in Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Sanibel was a favorite, but the warmth of the people and the charm of New Castle made New Hampshire his ultimate home. He is, and will be, sorely missed. A celebration of life will take place in New Castle, NH on July 20. Details to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to these charities: SeacoastWheelers.org GuidingEyes.org MassEyeAndEar.org