Obituary of Thomas J. Smith

Thomas James Smith of Midland Park, NJ passed away at home on Tuesday August 9, 2016 just days before his 85th birthday. Tom was born in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1931, the second child of Sophie and Thomas E. Smith. During his high school and college years Tom juggled numerous part time jobs, including a stint as a producer on a radio show in New York City. Tom had just graduated from 8th grade when he met Terry Trunk and they began a lifelong love affair that resulted in a marriage of nearly 62 years. Tom and Terry’s families were among the original “campers” at the West Oak Recreation Club (WORC) in Oakdale, Long Island. Boating, clamming and fishing on the Great South Bay was the beginning of Tom’s fondness for boats that eventually included two sailboats and a 65-foot Burger yacht named “Odyssey”. Tom graduated from LaSalle Academy a place he would always credit with shaping the man he became. He earned degrees from St. Francis College and St. John’s University Law School where he became friends with future Governor Mario Cuomo who called him “the nicest, brightest, most gifted of students”. Tom was proud to call himself a “fourth generation railroad man” and reorganizing America’s railroad industry was his passion. He served as president of the Central Railroad of New Jersey, The Lehigh Valley Railroad and the New York Susquehanna and Western Railway. Tom was appointed special assistant to New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne and worked on revamping the state’s Department of Transportation. In later years Tom went into the energy business working for Royal Dutch Shell and sitting on the boards of a number of their subsidiaries including Scallop and Asiatic Petroleum. After leaving Shell Tom founded the New York office of law firm Wildman Harrold Allen Dixon & Smith where Terry took on the role of his legal administrator. Their Rockefeller Center office overlooked the skating rink, and holiday parties held on the evening of the Christmas tree lighting were a tradition. Tom and Terry raised five children in Suffern, N.Y. where he volunteered as a Little League coach and scout master. He bragged that he was the only scout leader to return from a hike with MORE kids than he started with. Although sailing, boating and scuba diving were his primary hobbies, Tom held a private pilot’s license that Terry learned about on their first flight. Tom’s grandchildren believe “he was Google before there was Google” because of his infinite store of knowledge. They say “Grampy knows something about everything.” He enjoyed great conversation and would instruct his young children to “turn to your partner and say something scintillating.” Tom was a loyal alumnus of LaSalle Academy and St. John’s and assisted in their fundraising. He was a member of the Canadian and Metropolitan Clubs in New York City and the East India Club in London. In retirement Tom passed on his love of sailing by starting the adaptive sailing program for people with disabilities at Helen Hayes Hospital in Haverstraw NY. Thomas J. Smith is survived by his wife Therese M. Smith (nee Trunk) and his daughters Diane Smith Woodruff and son-in-law Tom Woodruff of Norwalk CT, Deborah Smith and her husband Dori Amarillio of Los Angeles, Suzanne Ferleger and son-in-law Daniel Ferleger of Los Angeles and Melissa Simonet and husband Xavier Simonet of Paris, France. His son Thomas J. Smith and wife Bonnie reside in Ridgewood, N.J. with their sons Owen and Garrett. Tom has four more grandchildren, Zachary and Adam Ferleger, and Benjamin and Dalia Amarillio. Tom was predeceased by his sister Margaret McLaughlin and survived by his brother Raymond Smith. Visiting hours at Vander Plaat Funeral Home in Wyckoff are 9 to 11 AM Saturday August 13. A Catholic prayer service will follow with burial at Ascension Cemetery in Airmont, NY. Memorial donations may be made to: La Salle Academy 215 East 6th St NY, NY 10003 www.lasalleacademy.org