TIM SMITH PASSES AWAY

 

                        TIM SMITH AT MAINE MILITARY MUSEUM

                  TIM SMITH AT HIS KENT STATE RETIREMENT PARTY 

Tim Smith passes away

Jim Carney posted this sad note today (Monday, Oct. 2) from Barbara Hipsman Spring:

James Carney

From Barb Hipsman:

Tim Smith passed away early this morning.

RIP Tim.

I enjoyed seeing, no matter how briefly, at Tim Smith post-funeral gathering, Art Krummel and wife Charlene (thanks for the hug, Charlene), Bill Hershey (who has his own Westminster Dog Show in his own home year after year), Roger Mezger and wife Ann Sheldon Mezger (thanks for the hug, Ann) and others my Swiss cheese mind has forgotten.

My Tallmadge condo co-occupant Joan Salisbury and I showed up before they left the reception, fortunately.

Gave my condolences to Tim's widow, Jane, and told her what a remarkable husband she had: BJ managing editor, lawyer, Kent State professor!

RIP, Tim! I'm sure you'll recognize a lot of BJ folks where you are.

See you there someday but, even with "91" coming up Nov. 5, I'm in no hurry.

Below is article posted September 26 about Tim’s health problems.

RIP, Tim. You sailed an impressive ship through life, from BJ managing editor to lawyer to Kent State professor.

I’ll post funeral arrangements when the become available.

 

Former Beacon Journal managing editor and Kent State professor Tim Smith has been hospitalized with unfixable epiglottis problem.

 

A feeding tube was inserted but eventually Cleveland Clinic doctors determined that he couldn’t process nutrition through the tube.

 

His daughter, Rachel Nelli, said “Dad starting having trouble with words” which made his family fear he had a stroke.

 

But that wasn’t it. The epiglottis is.

 

So Tim went back and forth from the hospital, the Heather Knoll care facility near Stow/Munroe Falls and his home at Sandy Lake.

 

Randy, Rachel, Bryan and their children visit Tim.

Rachel and Tim’s wife, Jane, hope to bring Tim home and the help of caregivers, known as home hospice.

 

Tim joined Kent State in 1986 after 19 years at the BJ. His other media stops were the Columbus Dispatch, the Painesville Telegraph and United Press International.

Tim has a bachelor’s degree and masters in journalism from Ohio State and a law degree from the University of Akron. In 1991, became a law clerk for now-retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Craig Wright.

In June 1991 he was named acting director at Kent State, a post he held until June 1994, when he returned to the faculty and resumed his service as adviser to the Daily Kent Stater.

If you want to send a card, Tim's address is 4770 Sundown Trail, Ravenna, OH 44266.