Robert Smith

Robert Emmett “Grandpa Bob” Smith 92, of White Bear Lake, MN passed away peacefully on March 16, 2016 at Fairview Southdale Hospital, Edina, MN. A devout Catholic who had defied medical predictions in surviving a decades-long fight against cancer, Robert Emmett maintained his faith, strong will, and razor sharp wit until the end. He will be remembered for his devotion to family, pioneering organic gardening, keen intellect, political acumen, and selfless compassion for those in need. For the past three decades he was a much-respected fixture as “Grandpa Bob,” at daughter Lynn’s French Meadow Bakery & Cafe, which owes volumes to his hard work over the years and his service as their greatest promoter, advocate, and “wind beneath the wings”; as part of that role, for over 20 years he was a respected institution at the Minneapolis Farmers’ Market every weekend, where he tirelessly worked from 3 a.m. until the afternoon, never missing a single day. A man of unwavering faith, wisdom, strong opinions, self-deprecating humor, and sacrifice, Robert Emmett inspired, and left an indelible mark on, countless individuals who were lucky enough to cross his path through the years. Born in Syracuse, NY on August 1, 1923 to Mildred Lamp, a nurse, and Clarence Smith, a scholar and Irish Nationalist, Robert Emmett was named for the Irish patriot; his godfather was Eamon de Valera, first President of the Irish Republic. Robert Emmett was raised at his mother’s family farm in Edgeley, North Dakota — which held a place in his heart throughout his life — and, after losing his mother to tuberculosis, graduated high school in St. Paul Park, Minnesota. During World War II he attended Gustavus Adolphus College and Northwestern University as part of naval officer training; he was a proud patriot who served in a special forces unit of the U.S. Navy scheduled to launch a hazardous amphibious attack on Japan on August 15, 1945 — an attack cancelled when Japan surrendered the same day. (As a navy veteran, in 2015 he was a participant in the WWII Veterans Honor Flight to Washington, DC. ) He met the love of his life, accomplished singer and pianist Dorothy Browne Smith, in St. Paul following the war; they married on September 21, 1946. Following her untimely death from ovarian cancer on their wedding anniversary, 1964, at the age of 42, he raised their three young daughters on his own, devoting himself to their happiness and well being. It was his beloved Dorothy’s early death that launched him on a lifelong path of commitment to natural, alternative healing, heathy food, organic gardening, recycling, and environmentalism, putting him decades ahead of his time. He moved with his family to White Bear Lake, MN in 1967, living in the same home, with the enormous yard and extensive gardens, up until his final illness this year. From the 60s until his retirement from work as an independent contractor in the 1980s, he held bases in both White Bear Lake and Lake City, MN. After retirement, in addition to enjoying his gardening, the Minneapolis Farmers’ Market, and time with his grandchildren/great grandchildren, he was an avid beekeeper. He was well known to the congregation of St. Mary of the Lake Church in White Bear Lake, where for decades he attended daily mass at 7:30 a.m., always sitting in his signature spot, the back pew to the far right. He is survived by daughters Lynn Gordon, Diane Alexander (wife of Stu Alexander), and Joan K. Smith (partner of David Singer); grandchildren Deborah Gordon Gleize (wife of Chris Gleize), Michael Swafford, Jennifer Gordon Rasmussen (wife of Tim Rasmussen), Jessica Hennesy (wife of Josh Hennesy), Jay Gordon, and Casey Mitchell (partner of Claire Grasse); great grandchildren Makena and Macy Rasmussen, Treyson “Jimmy” Hennesy, and Eleanor Gordon-Strom. Visitation will be Tuesday, March 22, 4 - 8 PM at Mueller Memorial, 4738 Bald Eagle Avenue White Bear Lake, MN 55110; funeral mass will be 11 AM Wednesday, March 23, preceded by a 10 AM visitation, at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4741 Bald Eagle Ave, White Bear Lake, MN 55110, followed by an early afternoon memorial luncheon and reception (details to be shared at services). Interment will be at Oakland Cemetery, St. Paul, MN.