Robert L. Smith

Robert Lawrence Smith of Braintree, originally from Weymouth, passed away peacefully after a short illness on September 25, 2024 at the age of 80. He leaves a wife, Irene, of Abington, and two daughters, Jamee (Smith) Downes of Hingham and her husband, Jim, and Lisa Smith of Kennebunk, Maine. 

Robert, known to his family and friends as “Bob,” was a graduate of Weymouth High School and Quincy College. 

He remained an active member of the Weymouth community as a long-time member of the local Sons of Italy organization where he co-organized an annual golf tournament and celebratory feeds. He maintained lifelong friendships with ‘the East Weymouth Boys’ and held a special fondness for the Jackson Square area frequenting local restaurants, the Venetian, Stokesy’s Egg House and Denley’s Garden. He enjoyed weekends with his friends in New Hampshire at ‘ToBe Jo’s’ hunting camp with his closest friends. An avid golfer, he was a long-time member of the South Shore Country Club in Hingham. He also held a great love of fishing and could often be found surfcasting in Cape Cod Bay with his nephews, ‘Young Richard’ and David Smith, whom he loved like sons, and his great nephew, ‘Young Todd.’ His other hobbies included mushroom hunting and planting a garden each Spring with his grandchildren. 

Bob spent his career in the building materials industry, most recently as a representative for Waska Industries, where he enjoyed a long career selling cedar shingles in the New England area. An ‘old school’ salesman, he sent orders by fax and forged many friendships with industry contacts and was considered an expert in the field. 

Above all, Bob was a devoted and loving husband, father, papa and uncle. His pride and joy were his daughters and his two grandchildren, Sam and Theodore Downes, who loved their ‘papa’s barley soup’ and ‘chopped suey.’ He loved to spend Sundays with his family in the Fall watching the New England Patriots and enjoying a home cooked meal, including his favorite chicken cacciatore. He lived simply so that he could spoil his grandchildren and derived great pride in providing extras for his family. 

He is survived by a brother, Roy Smith, of Quincy, and predeceased by a brother, Richard Smith, of Severn, Maryland, and sister, Karen (Smith) Brown, of Canton, Mass. Bob was a supporter of the Cardinal Cushing School in Hanover, in lieu of flowers, we ask that donations may be made to Cardinal Cushing Centers:  Attn: Memorial/Tribute Program, 405 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339.

A burial service will be held on Tuesday, October 1st at at 2 p.m. at the Fairmount Cemetery on Cedar Street in East Weymouth, MA and followed by a ‘time’ at the Sons of Italy Hall, 54 Whitman Street, Weymouth MA at 3:30 p.m. Family and friends are welcome to join.