Walter 'Bud' F. Smith, Jr.

Walter "Bud" F. Smith, Jr., 80, of Pittsfield, formerly of New Jersey, died Tuesday, May 6, at his home, surrounded by his loving family, following a brief illness. Born Feb. 1, 1928 in Patterson, N.J. , son of Walter F. Smith, Sr. and Miriam Van Ness Smith, he was educated through the Butler public school system and was a 1945 graduate of Butler High School. He attended Rutgers University where he studied mechanical engineering. He served in the Navy as a seaman second class (boatswain) on the 3rd fleet and was aboard the USS Annapolis. In 1952, Mr. Smith joined the Kinney Hose Fire Company in Butler, N.J. as a volunteer fireman and served as assistant captain for four years before retiring in 1975. He was well-loved and well-respected by fellow firefighters. He was a Master Mason for 58 years and a member of the Silentia Lodge No. 168, F. & A.M. , in N.J. Mr. Smith began his career at the American Hard Rubber company in Butler, N.J. in the early 1950's. He then went to Boonton Molding Company as an engineer. He worked at Rexall Drug and Chemical Company as executive vice president in the 1960's and from there went back to Boonton Molding Company as executive vice president, iIn the early 1970's, he became president of Whalite manufacturing Company in Monville, N.J., and in 1979, he became president of Plasticmatics in Fairfield, N.J., from where he retired in 1988. Following his retirement, he began a consulting business, Precision Components. He was a member of Pioneers of Plastics and a member of the Society of Plastics Engineers. Mr. Smith was a member of the United Methodist Church in Butler, N.J. his entire life until he moved to Pittsfield, and became a member of the United Methodist Church of Lenox where he was a member since 2005. He had been a Boy Scouts of America leader in Butler, and was a member of the American Legion there. Mr. Smith's wife, the former Dorothy H. DeLazier, whom he married April 9, 1950, at the Butler United Methodist Church, died June 5, 2006. He leaves two daughters, Sandra S. and her husband, Lawrence A. Gattasso, of Pittsfield, and Donna Lee Smith, and her companion, Michelle A. Ciaramentaro of Gloucester; a brother, Donald E. Smith and his wife, Sharon, of Waynesboro, Va.; two grandchildren, Tiffany Gattasso of Manhattan, N.Y. and Brad Gattasso of Pittsfield, and two nieces. He also leaves his lifelong schoolmate, Edward Dwyer, of Butler, N.J. and his longtime fishing buddy, Arthur Lappine and his wife, Joan, of Millville, N.J. Visiting hours will be 2-4pm & 7-9pm on Sunday, May 11, 2008, at The Morrison Funeral Home 86 Bartholdi Ave. Butler, NJ. A Funeral Service will be held Monday 11:00am at Butler United Methodist Church, Butler, NJ. Burial to follow in Mount Rest Cemetery in Butler. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Mr. Smith may be made to the American Cancer Society or to any of the Butler Fire Departments.