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Mark C. Smith

Date of Death: October 18, 2019

Date of Birth: August 7, 1941

Biography:

Mark C. Smith passed away on October 18th, 2019 in Maine, where he had retired. He was 78 years old.

Mark was an accomplished educator with a long career--first as a high school history teacher, then a high school principal, and for twenty-seven years, a superintendent of schools in Chatham and Westfield, New Jersey and Framingham, Massachusetts. He was dedicated to excellence in educating children and fostering diversity in schools. He was a graduate of Williams College, Harvard University, and earned his doctorate at Columbia University. Mark fought for an equal learning opportunity for all of his students, regardless of their race or financial status. The effects of his school choice program in Framingham, regionalizing Chatham Township and Chatham Boro School Districts and his alternative graduation program in New Canaan are among the proudest moments of his career in education. Even after he retired, 

Mark continued to instill his love for learning in the people around him. For four years, Mark was president of Midcoast Senior College in Brunswick, Maine, where he led the college to become an independent non-profit organization. Mark was a lifelong Red Sox fan and enjoyed playing and watching many sports. He was an avid hiker, spending many summers in the White Mountains and then relaxing at Lake Wentworth in Wolfeboro, NH with his family. In his retirement, he discovered a love for writing poetry and even chronicled his cancer journey through writing poems. Family was his greatest
pleasure and following his grandchildren’s pursuits brought him immense joy.

Mark leaves behind his wife and best friend Judy. They were married for a wonderful fifty-six years. He is survived by their three children: Steven (Alisa), Kristen (Glenn), Joshua (Jennifer), and six grandchildren: Alyssa and Sam Smith of Wiscasset, Maine, Jacob and Clara Walling of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and Rowan and Linnea Chenoweth of Port Angeles, Washington. Mark is also survived by his brothers Peter S. Smith and David B. Smith, and their wives, Maureen and Judy, all of Hilton Head, South Carolina. 

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, October 26th at 1:00pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick, 1 Middle Street, Brunswick, Maine. Please be advised that parking is on the street. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mark C Smith Poetry Fund, c/o Dr.
Robert Tremblay, Superintendent’s Office, Framingham Public Schools, 73 Mt. Wayte Ave., Framingham, MA, 01702 or in his honor to the Midcoast Senior College, 29 Burbank Ave., Brunswick, Maine, 04011.