Dr. Alonzo Smith age 79, of Washington DC passed away on March 5th from complications of AML Leukemia. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Susan, his daughter Marie and his son Alex. He also leaves behind his cousins Shirley Smith Palmer, Judi Blue of Philadelphia and so many other extended family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like you to please make a Donation to the Maryland Poor People’s Campaign below:
Just click the Donate link under Donate to MD PPC.
https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/committee/maryland/
Thank you,
-Alex
Alonzo Smith lead his life in service to others, a believer in the worth of all human beings, a peaceful advocate for social justice, and most importantly as a messenger of LOVE.
He viewed himself as a global citizen. His philosophy of life was that all human beings on this earth are as Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Born free and equal in dignity and rights.
He was an only son, born to pediatrician Alonzo Nelson Smith and teacher/activist Marie Wright Smith. He was a child of the District. He grew up in segregated DC. Both of his parents were mixed. His mother was so light she ‘passed’ for white. His father was light skinned but visibly black. He would tell us stories that he could go to pools and restaurants with his Mother but not his father. His mother had to go to the bank without his father just to get approved for the mortgage on their home in Columbia Heights.
He left DC to attend high school in West Chester, PA at the Quaker school Westtown. He will always be remembered by his black rimmed glasses, his camera in hand, and his slender frame. His class of 1958 became so close throughout their lives that they still get together each year in West Chester to reunite.
He attended undergrad at Georgetown, received an MBA from Howard University and a Doctorate from UCLA in African American Studies.
Alonzo loved to teach history. He became a college professor at a number of institutions. His students marveled as he could teach without notes. At Clairmont College in California, my mom recalls him conducting his lectures with smoking pipe in hand.
In the middle of his Career he landed his dream job at The Smithsonian National Museum of American History as curator and research analyst. His signature project was co-curator on the exhibit “Seperate But Equal” to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown Vs Board of Education.
After a long ride, he found his home at the end of his career as a college professor at Montgomery College in Rockville. He taught African American History, American History, and his favorite, a class on Human Rights that he co-taught with Layla Hashemi.
He put his beliefs into action with so many important humanitarian causes. He was one of the first members of the Peace Corps where he taught in The Ivory Coast, spent a year in war torn Sierra Leone with Africare providing aid. He was active with The UUCR Social Justice Committee, The Montgomery County Lynching Project, and most recently helped build the The Montgomery County MD group of The Poor Peoples Campaign.
He was also a proud member of the Unitarian Universalist Church is Rockville for over 20 years.
He lead an accomplished career but if he were here, he’d say his greatest accomplishment was finding and marrying my mother, his Susie, and loving her for 44 years. He could always be seen holding her hand, rubbing her shoulder, kissing her, and smiling at her. He taught us all how to love.
We should all live by the words he once wrote in a book of poems gifted to my mom.
“May you always see beauty and feel Love.”
We will ALWAYS love you Dad.
Services will be scheduled at a later date following guidelines around COVID19.
As we all wait to meet in person to celebrate his life and for always, we ask you to share your stories of Al at the Stories link above. This way, he lives in our hearts and can never ever truly leave this world.
