Gerald Wavern Smith (1929-2017)
SMITH, SORENSON, SEYDEL, ALI, LORENZ, BLACK, KENNING, JOHNSON, THOMPSON, HEUBNER, LUDWIG, DAY, FREY
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:11
From Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care obituary, Ames, Story County, Iowa:
Gerald Wavern Smith
December 1, 1929 - August 5, 2017Gerald W Smith of Ames died on August 5, 2017. Visitation services will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, August 11, at the Collegiate Presbyterian Church in Ames, followed by 3:00 pm Memorial Services that will be followed by a reception. Private Burial services will be held for the family.
He was born in 1929 in Des Moines, Iowa, to Anthony and Marie Sorenson Smith. They later lived in Fort Dodge and Sioux City where he graduated from Central High School. He graduated with a BS degree in engineering from Iowa State University in 1952, and was employed by Collins Radio Co from 1952 to 1954. He served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956. In 1956 he returned to Iowa State University to pursue graduate study in engineering where he completed his MS in 1958, his PhD in 1961, and postgraduate study at Stanford University in 1962.
On June 13, 1958 he married Phyllis Seydel; their marriage was blessed with a son Brian. Gerald served as a faculty member of the Industrial Engineering Department of Iowa State University from 1956 to 1987. He was the author of "Engineering Economy: Analysis of Capital Expenditures" an engineering textbook published by the Iowa State University Press. His teaching included more than 2000 members of the Bell Telephone System over a 22-year duration, and he won national honors from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and the Institute for Industrial Engineers.
He was a member of Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Sigma Nu Fraternity, ISU Alumni Association, ISU Memorial Union, Reiman Gardens, and other organizations. Playing tennis doubles was an important part of his early retirement years.
He is survived by his wife Phyllis of Ames, their son Brian and daughter-in-law Fazia Ali of Miami Beach, FL, sisters-in-law Lois Lorenz of Traer, IA, and Barbara Seydel of Rochester, MN; nieces Toni (Michael) Black of Quincy, IL, Jeri (Robert) Kenning of Evansville, IN, Linda (Larry) Johnson of Roland, IA, Lisa (Michael) Thompson of Traer, IA, and Lori (Ronald) Huebner of Evansville, IN, grandnephew David (Dana) Ludwig of Quincy, IL, and grandnieces, Kelli Kenning (Joseph) Day of Evansville, IN, and Catlin Thompson of Traer, IA.
Gerald was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Gene F Smith, brothers-in-law Lyle Lorenz, and Kenneth Frey, and sisters-in-law Johnina Smith, Joyce Seydel, and Marjorie Frey.
Suggested Memorial Contribution recipients include Heartland Senior Services, the Ames Public Library, Collegiate Presbyterian Church, and Youth and Shelter Services.
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