Bruce Milward Smith

Nashville - Dr. Bruce Milward Smith died peacefully at his home in Nashville on January 5, 2019. He is predeceased by his parents, Elizabeth McCullough and Marion Milward Smith, and his sister Sandra McGinnis. He is survived by his loving wife, Lisa Boyle, their two children, Lauren Van Husen and Joshua Smith; his first wife Louise Smith and their three children, Amory Dugan, Shepley Smith, and Susannah Warfield; his beloved five grandchildren, William Dugan, Jackson Dugan, Corinne Smith, Cutler Smith, Miles Warfield III; his brother Dan Smith, and his step-mother Judith Ciani Smith.

Bruce was born on July 26, 1945 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Bruce attended Waggoner High where he excelled both academically and athletically. He attended Dartmouth College where he played both baseball and football, and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Dragon Society. He was captain of the baseball team as a star catcher, and was a member of the last undefeated Dartmouth football team which took home the Ivy League Championship in 1965.

Upon graduating from Dartmouth, Bruce attended Harvard Medical School. He completed his surgical residency and training at Duke, which included a 2 year stint as a General Medical Officer in the Navy during the Vietnam War. In 1980, Bruce moved his family to Nashville to accept a position on the faculty of Vanderbilt University. He remained at Vanderbilt for several years until entering into private practice at (then) Baptist Hospital. In 1989, Bruce joined the Air Force practicing medicine and researching at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA. His time there included a post in England for a portion of the Gulf War, but was culminated by meeting and marrying Lisa Boyle, who was also a surgeon at Travis. He retired from the Air Force in 1993 with the rank of Lt. Col. After the Air Force, Bruce moved to Washington D.C. to become the Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Washington Hospital Center where he worked until his retirement in 2010.

Bruce moved back to Nashville in 2015 to be closer to his children and grandchildren. He rekindled many of his close friendships here and was a member of Belle Meade Country Club. He was an accomplished boater, avid reader, lover of music, and cherished his summers with his family in the Les Cheneaux Islands of Michigan.

Bruce touched many lives over the years as teacher, doctor, coach, friend, brother, father and grandfather. He will be remembered for his incredible wit, strong opinions, wonderful sense of humor, and incredible loyalty to his family. He believed, as his father did, that every day was a bonus. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to VA Medical Centers at www.volunteer.va.gov.