David Brooks Smoyer, of Boston, passed away peacefully on June 1 from complications of dementia. He was 82.
David grew up in Princeton, N.J., and treasured memories of his childhood there. Friendships from carefree days as a youth did not fade through the years, nor did the spirit of enthusiastic competition. He returned frequently as an adult, carrying on his youthful passions at Princeton-Dartmouth games, Pretty Brook Tennis Club and around the card table.
His parents, Stanley and Barbara Smoyer, loved Princeton and made it their home for 66 years. The Barbara Smoyer Memorial Park is named in honor of his mother.
Devoted to his wife of 58 years, Mary — their anniversary was June 1 — and their children’s families, David relished sports, travel and community most of all in a lifetime of experiences. He was a master conversationalist, always interested in the adventures and minutia of the lives of his many friends and family.
Born on New Year’s Eve 1941, in Akron, Ohio, David was always very proud of his roots there. He fondly remembered his summer visits with his grandparents and his swims in Turkeyfoot Lake. Inspired by memories of Turkeyfoot, he loved to swim in whatever open water — lake, river, ocean — he came upon.
David was raised to put education first, and he followed up his many accomplishments as a student by spending most of his career working for schools.
He attended Valley Road School, Princeton Country Day, Phillips Academy Andover ‘59, Dartmouth College ‘63 and Harvard Law School ‘66. At Andover and Dartmouth, David won his graduating class’ scholar-athlete award. At Dartmouth, he earned nine varsity letters, in soccer, squash and tennis. A goalkeeper in soccer, he was named to the 1962 All-America first team.
David practiced law for only six months before returning to his first love: sports. He worked as assistant to the commissioner of the North American Soccer League, assistant athletic director at Yale, athletic director at Swarthmore College, and administrator and coach at the Roxbury Latin School in West Roxbury, MA. Of these, it was at Roxbury Latin where he found a home, immersing himself in its community during and outside school hours.
An energetic and creative, if not particularly sophisticated, traveler, David visited 48 states, 40 countries and six continents. His favorite languages were French and Latin, and his favorite countries were France and Egypt. He was known, even for overseas destinations, to leave home with only a backpack and a reservation for the first night. He was an outgoing tourist and loved talking with anyone he met, resulting in many great conversations and warm connections across the globe. A highlight of his travels was taking his seven grandchildren, as each reached age 10, on a trip of their choice.
A rich variety of sports-spectating represented the rich variety of David’s life. Born a Cleveland Indians fan, he was in New York’s Polo Grounds in 1954 when Willie Mays’ famous World Series catch foiled Cleveland. But he later worked in concessions at Candlestick Park, after the Giants moved to San Francisco, and became a huge admirer of Mays and San Francisco itself, where he and Mary would honeymoon.
Adopting the Red Sox after a move to Boston in the ‘70s, he was in Fenway Park for the legendary Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. He attended U.S. Open tennis for many years, a men’s World Cup in France, Wimbledon in England, the British Open in Scotland, the Olympics in Atlanta and Los Angeles. Inspired by his time as the Swarthmore women’s soccer coach, he was swept up in the frenzy around the U.S. Women’s National Team for the 1999 World Cup. All the while, he got to every Dartmouth game he could, no matter the sport.
In retirement, David continued to play and watch sports. After cycling to Fenway Park, he would seek out a free, or almost free, ticket, putting up one finger in the air. (Year after year, he kept a record: In 2004, he attended 31 games at the total cost of $72.20.)
In the Boston area, David volunteered as a tutor at Squashbusters, the Hyde Square Task Force, the Cape Verdean Task Force and Beacon Academy. He loved living in Jamaica Plain for over 30 years, going to museums and lectures, jogging, biking, playing tennis in Franklin Park and at the Carter Playground, and even swimming once or twice in Jamaica Pond. He also enjoyed many summers in Marion, MA, where, in all weather, he swam three times a day.
David is survived by Mary Howland Smoyer and their children, Laura (Christopher Myers) of Portland, OR, Amy (Jaime Muleiro) of New Haven, CT, and Mark (Jennifer Reese) of Brooklyn NY, and grandchildren: Isabel, Edith, Joseph, Henry, Owen, Javier and Michael.
He also leaves his sister Nancy of Fairbanks, AK. He was predeceased by his sister Janet and his brother, Bill.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in David’s memory may be donated at Squashbusters.org. The burial will be private. A memorial service is being planned for autumn.
