Obituary of Elwin E. Smith

Elwin Earl Smith of Darien, Connecticut, passed away after a long illness at his home on Wednesday, April 25th . He was 84 years old. Throughout his life, Mr. Smith—“Square” or “Smitty” as he was fondly called—embodied the traditional values of hard work and a deep love of family and country. Mr. Smith enjoyed a distinguished career as an oil and mining executive with AMAX Inc., Lithium Corporation of America and Cities Service Oil. As senior executive vice president at AMAX, his responsibilities included being Chief Operating Officer of AMAX Energy & Chemical Group and president of AMAX Iron Ore. After retiring from AMAX in 1986, he started Elwin Smith International, an energy and minerals consulting business. Over the years, he served as a director on numerous corporate boards including: AMAX, Lithium Corp., Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold, Essex Chemical, Gulf Resources & Chemical Co., Mt. Newman Mining Company and Asia Lithium Corp. Prior to AMAX, he was President and CEO of Lithium Corporation of America. Under his leadership, the company was instrumental in developing lithium carbonate for use in the treatment of manic depression as well as the use of lithium in Corning Glass photo color lenses. He began his career at Cities Service Oil where he became manager of East Coast Sales. Mr. Smith was a member of many professional organizations and societies: American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers, American Petroleum Institute, American Chemical Society, The Japan Society, American-Australian Association, Far East-American Council of Commerce & Industry, Winged Foot Golf Club, The Nassau Club, Springdale Golf Club and Wee Burn Country Club. He was also a member of the Board of Household Concerns at the United Church of Rowayton. Mr. Smith was born in 1922 in Ellicottville, New York to Henry and Beatrice Smith. He went to the University of Alabama, majoring in chemical engineering. During World War II, Mr. Smith saw combat as a paratrooper in the Pacific Theater, where he was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army’s 11th Airborne Division. As part of the 11th Airborne, Mr. Smith served as an honor guard during the Japanese surrender on the U.S.S. Missouri in September, 1945. He spent an additional two years in Japan as part of the U.S. Army’s occupation force. He was pre-deceased by his beloved wife of 58 years, Mary Ellen Smith. He is survived by: three sons, Pietro of Princeton Junction, New Jersey; Michael of Madison, Connecticut; and Timothy of Rowayton; and also by five grandchildren, Travis, Dwight and Corey Smith, of Madison, Connecticut; and James and Abigail Smith, of Rowayton. He also is survived by two brothers, Joseph Smith of Tampa, Florida and Charles Smith of Randolph, New Jersey. There will be a memorial service and celebration of Mr. Smith’s wonderful life on Saturday, May 5th, at 2 p.m., at The United Church of Rowayton, 210 Rowayton Avenue, in Rowayton. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in his honor to The United Church of Rowayton. Funeral Home: Edward Lawrence Funeral Home 2119 Post Road Darien, CT USA 06820