Donald Willard Smith

He was born on March 27, 1937 to Dr. Francis and Muriel (Lambert) Smith of Queens, New York. They later moved to Port Jefferson, N.Y. where Donald spent his childhood years, graduating from Port Jefferson High School in 1955. In 1959 he graduated from New York University with a Pre-Med B.A., and then went on to earn a medical degree from Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York in 1964. He was commissioned as an officer in the Army Medical Corps, and served on active duty for 9 years, including one tour as a battalion surgeon in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, where he was awarded the Purple Heart. Later he served as an Army flight surgeon. After leaving active duty, Donald relocated to Houston, TX, where he served as a doctor at several local medical facilities. In 1981 he opened the Kuykendahl Emergency Clinic in Spring, TX. For the next 31 years Dr. Smith cared for countless patients, bringing a smile to their faces with his jovial personality, until his retirement in 2012. All along Donald continued to serve his country in the Army Reserves, drilling with the 4005th Army Hospital at Ellington Field, TX, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1990 with over 21 years of service in uniform.

He is survived by his wife of 11 years, Carma; siblings, Francis Smith and Barbara (Smith) Zinna; two children, David (Stephanie) Smith and Frances Smith; and four grandchildren. Donald was preceded in death by his parents; sister-in-law, Mary Lou; and brother-in-law, Patrick.