Dr. Donald Smith
Dr. Donald Philip Smith died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, with his wife, Mary Jane, by his side. He was 90 years old.
He was born Wednesday, Aug. 10, 1932, to Dr. F.M. and Helen Smith in White Cross Hospital in Columbus. Dr. F.M. was in his medical internship at that time. Shortly after Dr. D.P.’s birth, his family moved to Sycamore, where Dr. F.M. opened a general medical practice. In 1961, Dr. D.P. joined the practice upon his completion of two years of U.S. Naval service as a physician in Key West, Fla. Dr. D.P. practiced medicine in Sycamore from 1961 through 2009. Between the two of them, Dr. F.M. and Dr. D.P. provided nearly 80 years of continuous medical services to their beloved Sycamore.
Dr. D.P grew up in Sycamore, where he enjoyed building things, being outdoors, playing the violin, singing in a barbershop quartet and spending time in his grandfather’s blacksmith shop in nearby Nevada. After he graduated from Sycamore High School in 1950, he attended college at Ohio Wesleyan University. He graduation from OWU in 1954 and then attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati. While a student at UC, he met his future wife, Judy, in the medical school cafeteria where she worked as a dietitian. Following medical school graduation, Dr. Smith did his medical internship in Columbus, where his son Phillip was born in March of 1958. The family then moved to Key West, Fla., where Dr. D.P. served for two years in the U.S. Navy and where son Tad was born in 1959. In 1961, Dr. Smith and his family returned to his roots in Sycamore and joined his father in the family practice. Two years later, daughter Sally was born (1963) in Wyandot Memorial Hospital, Upper Sandusky.
Dr. Smith had many hobbies and interests, but the two that interested him most, besides his family, were photography and restoring and driving old cars. During the course of his life he took thousands of pictures, family movies, restored multiple old cars and participated in many old car tours. He met his wife Mary Jane (MJ) through friends in the old car community and they were married in 2009.
Dr. Smith is survived by his loving wife of 13 years, Mary Jane; sister, Virginia; son, Tad (Suzanne); daughter, Sally (Peter); daughter-in-law, Cristina (Phillip); grandsons, Phillip and Christopher; and granddaughters, Rosie and Clarissa (Jordan).
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 50 years, Judith Ann (2008); and his first-born son, Phillip (2022).
Dr. Smith was a life-long resident of Sycamore and loved his community. He cared deeply for the overall health and education of the residents of Wyandot County. He was instrumental in establishing the critical care unit at Wyandot Memorial Hospital.
At this time there will be no public viewing or funeral service. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Sycamore Public Library, the critical care unit at Wyandot Memorial Hospital in Upper Sandusky or the food bank at United Church of Christ in Sycamore in care of Walton-Moore Funeral Home, P.O. Box 350, Sycamore, OH 44882. Online expressions of sympathy can be made at waltonmoorefuneralhome.com.
