Stanford Reid Smith

Jul 23, 1932 - Mar 13, 2014

Stanford Reid Smith was born in South Bend, Indiana during the great depression. His father (Ernest) and his mother (Iva) worked hard to support 3 children throughout their lives. Stanford went to Riley High School in South Bend and studied Latin for 4 years and had a great interest in the works by Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Virgil.

When Stanford turned 18 in 1950, the Korean conflict was taking place and Stanford decided to enlist in the United States Navy. His boot camp was at Great Lakes, IL in 1951. He came up with a few guys from his hometown but he was not sure what their names were. Signed to USS Knapp in May or June 1951 and discharged in August 1954 after going around the world 2 1/2 times. He was a gunner's mate striker assigned to mount 51. Later on he was in charge of the small arms locker. He was also assigned to hedgehogs behind mount 51. While on a trip to Athens, Greece in 1953 he was pictured on the top row 2nd from right end. He would have liked to be in contact with any of the gunner's mates that he worked with during that time and anyone who remembers him. Especially, the ones that he was with at boot camp in 1951. His first assignment was to take the USS Knapp out of mothballs from WW2.

When Stanford returned from the Navy he went back to South Bend for a while. For a couple of years he went to Los Angeles where he met Raymond Burr at a small bar near the Hollywood sign. He worked as a Draftsman putting electrical piping in people's homes due to a newly passed code upgrade. What was cool was that he drove an El Camino to hold the material for his jobs. He was in Los Angeles until about 1957.

He returned to South Bend for a little while and then decided to go to Chicago for work. He went to work in downtown Chicago where he met Angeline Loiacono in the elevator of their building and they soon started talking to each other.

They were married on October 29, 1960. They had 3 children: Ronald Ernest in 1961, Steven Natale in 1962, and Iva Anne in 1964.

Stanford worked in Automotive Production, Production Control, Life Insurance, and Retail during his over 40 year work career.

He was a lucky person to be blessed with 3 children who are feeling success in the work that they do. His 3 children ranged in age from 50 to 52 at the time of his death. There was a lot of love and respect from his children all of his life.

Sources: Ancestry.com and FindAGrave.com

08/31/2025 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126961597/stanford-reid-smith