Donald Edwin Smith, son of the late Emily (Perry) Smith and Albert Smith was born in Trenton, New Jersey and passed away peacefully on August 28, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah at the age of 75 after a prolonged illness.

After losing his wife in 1985, Don never remarried, instead focusing on raising his two young daughters to be the strong, loving, and independent women they are today. His life was a lesson in strength, love, humility, and humor. Don was dedicated to his friends and family, and he faced adversity with unwavering wisdom and strength. He was the best son, brother, cousin, husband, father (and mother), uncle, and grandfather you could ask for; he will be sorely missed by his family. To his daughters, he will always be the single most remarkable human being they will ever know.

He was lifelong resident of New Jersey until his retirement and relocation to Utah. Don was passionate about science and the opportunities provided by education. He loved soccer, playing both collegiately and semi-professionally as well coaching his daughter's team. In his retirement he enjoyed watching his grandchildren continue the family soccer tradition, including a soccer tour of Scotland. Don also enjoyed classical and jazz music and took pleasure in listening to his grandchildren perform. He had a sharp wit and a mischievous side that came out frequently and unpredictably.

Don was a graduate of Trenton Central High School ('65), Brown University (BS '69, MS '71), and Rutgers University (PhD '82). He served on the Rutgers University Computer Science faculty, including as Director of the Laboratory of Computer Science Research, before finishing his career as Vice President of Information Technology. He retired after over 40 years as a Rutgers University community member, where he was known to be trilingual in "geek, academic, and business."

He was a valued friend and mentor to many, each with a story of how he influenced their lives. Whether it was the neighbor who remembered him for helping assemble a basketball hoop for his sons; the colleagues that sought him out for professional advice; the family members, faculty and students who turned to him for parenting advice; or the two women returning to Rutgers for their 25th reunion who stopped by to thank him for the help, inspiration, and advice he gave them as undergraduates, Don had a lasting impact on peoples' lives.

Don is predeceased by the love of his life, Ann Marie (Morgan) Smith, and survived by sisters Joyce Beebe and Carol Bowman; brother William Smith; daughters Amanda Munson and Megan O'Hara; sons-in-law Eric Munson and Ryan O'Hara; granddaughters Ella Munson and Emily O'Hara; grandsons Everett Munson and Jackson O'Hara; and numerous (great) nieces and nephews.

A visitation with the family will be held Saturday, June 17th from 9:30 to 11:30 am at Peppler Funeral Home, 114 South Main St. Allentown, NJ 08501. Interment will follow in St. John's Cemetery in Allentown.

In lieu of flowers (or fruit baskets), and in honor of Don's lifelong love of science and belief in the power of education, the family request that donations be made in support of: K-12 STEM education through the Smithsonian Science Education Center www.support.si.edu or Undergraduates in Computer Science at Rutgers University through the Grossman Innovation Prize ( https://give.rutgers.edu/DonaldESmithMemorial )