MARSHALL GRAHAM SMITH's Obituary
Marshall Graham Smith, husband, father, brother, uncle, friend and raconteur, passed away suddenly on Thursday, September 22, 2022. Born on March 3, 1961 in Walter Reed Hospital to Dr. Alfred and Libby Smith, Marshall grew up in Coral Gables, Florida. Accompanied by his father, Marshall sowed his lifelong passion for the game of golf at the nearby Granada Golf Course, which culminated this year with his first ever hole in one.
After graduating from Coral Gables High School and Florida State University, he returned to Coral Gables and started his career in commercial mortgage banking. Marshall spent the majority of his career with Thomas D. Wood & Co. While career was important to Marshall, his first and fullest love was his family. He married the love of his life, Morgan Park Smith, on September 7, 2002 in Asheville, North Carolina. True to form, they left their Biltmore Forest Country Club wedding reception in a decorated golf cart. The newlyweds enjoyed an unforgettable honeymoon in Italy, enchanted by the beauty of the country. Morgan and Marshall especially loved their memorable time in Positano, and were able to return to Italy just this month to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary, this time in the company of good friends, and adding Capri and Ravello to their favorite places.
Marshall’s family expanded with the births of his beloved children, Kirksey Margret Smith and Walker Park Smith. Marshall, Morgan and their children all shared a passion for boating and the water. Nothing made Marshall happier than to gather on his boat for a glorious afternoon on Biscayne Bay, staying out to watch the sunset, preferably with good friends at Stiltsville, or on Buttonwood Sound behind his family’s private paradise, their weekend home at Buttonwood Bay.
Last year the family designed their own burgee, depicting four waves for the four family members’ love of being on the water, as well as a hot pink ball representing Marshall’s passion for the sunset and love of the game of golf. Marshall proudly sported the burgee on his golf shirts, hats, bags, and cups; and their family burgee adorns the bar at Coral Reef Yacht Club.
Marshall relished his family time, be it watching his beautiful daughter Kirksey grow into a creative and remarkable young woman or his handsome son Walker gain charisma and confidence as they both developed their own interests—and best of all--their own friendship circles.
Marshall beamed with joy as Kirksey took the stage as Wendy in the senior class production of Peter Pan at St. Thomas and belted out her solos like a seasoned professional. He was equally proud of her academic achievements as an IB program senior at Palmer Trinity School, earning top student awards for both History and Science. Marshall was a constant presence at the school’s sideline cheering on Walker and his teammates at the school’s football games. His children’s friends lovingly and appropriately referred to Marshall as the G.O.A.T. (“Greatest Of All Time”) for his unparalleled sense of humor and loving participation in the lives of his children. Marshall was an equal and enthusiastic champion of his wife Morgan and applauded her success in her own career. Yet he was most captivated by her beauty, her laugh, her love of family, her fun and quirky holiday traditions, and her incomparable ability to keep the family on schedule and engaged with one another, their friends and their community.
When not tending to his family, Marshall was the best of company to his extensive circle of friends. His enviable handicap placed him in demand to join many a foursome for a round of golf, but his humor and quick wit were his true calling cards. Marshall’s love of his family was complemented by his enduring bond with his friends, best exemplified by his continuous 35 years of attendance at the notorious Big Bucks weekend. While golf and hunting were the order of the day, the tales told around the campfire and the friendships forged in the evening remain the stuff of legend.
Marshall radiated love for his family and for his friends, but he was also a magnet, drawing love out of all of who were privileged to have encountered him. Any time spent with Marshall was worthwhile. His sly smile, his deep laugh, his wry one-liners, and his endearing habit of tearing up when someone said, or he heard, something that touched him, are just a few of his traits that will linger in our happy memories of this wonderful, funny and irreplaceable man.
In addition to his many, many friends, his loss will be felt most deeply by his immediate family, Morgan, Kirksey and Walker, but also his extended family including his brother Al Smith, his sister-in law, Monica Cronin, his nieces and nephew, Alex, Melissa, Shannon, and Duncan; his sister Leslie Smith, his brother-in-law, Bruce Brockhouse and Bruce’s children, Taylor and Erin Brockhouse; his sister-in-law, Province (Boo) Zamek, his brother-in law, Paul Zamek and their children, Caroline and Aly; and Morgan’s parents Dabney (Bud) and Betty Park.
In lieu of flowers, Marshall’s family requests that any donations be made to the Kirksey and Walker Smith Education Fund, c/o: Shutts & Bowen LLP, 200 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 4100, Miami, FL 33131, Attn: Alfred G. Smith, Esq.
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