Obituary of Lawrence Allen Smith

In Loving Memory of Lawrence A. Smith April 1937 - December 2010 Larry was a loving husband to his wife Sue of 52 years and wonderful father to his four children- Alison, Jeff, Nathan and Greg. Father-in-law to Laura [wife of Nathan] and grandfather to their children Liam & Emma, he naturally developed close & loving relationships with each of them. We all loved him dearly and will remember him fondly. Always active in his free time, he seemed to maintain boundless energy as he loved working with his hands, addressing routine maintenance and tackling special projects. Larry and Sue brought closeness through regular activities with both friends and loved ones that few are able to experience. We have all been gifted with an abundance of memories to cherish. Though born to humble means and the first in his family to go to college, he graduated in 1960 from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in math. Joining the southern California workforce at the dawn of the computer industry, he worked for numerous companies that benefited from his analytical skills and insightful programming contributions. He and his family moved to the SF Bay Area in 1979 where he opened a new branch office. Though working well past the traditional retirement age, his comprehensive knowledge of the computer industry made him a much sought after computer analyst & mentor until his illness prevented further work activities in mid-October 2010. He bravely fought his illness to the end and will be dearly missed by all that knew him. Larry was surrounded by his wife and children as he slipped away peacefully. With the tragedy of his passing, we take comfort as he joins his close & dear departed family members- Uncle Frank, Auntie Maud, Uncle Harold, and his very special sister, Victoria. A memorial will held at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Santa Cruz, California on Monday, December 20th at 11 AM. A gathering will immediately follow at the Santa Cruz home of Nathan & Laura Smith. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Larry's honor can be sent to the American Cancer Society.