Richard L. Smith

Richard L. Smith (Dick), age 90, passed away of natural causes on May 27th, 2020. Dick was born in McMinville, Oregon in 1930 and remembered Model T Fords on the road and buying his milk for a nickel from a neighbor. Seeking something larger than McMinville, he left for the Menlo School in Atherton, CA and then college at nearby Stanford University ('52). Prior to pursuing his MBA at Stanford (‘56), he served in the Coast Guard in Seattle, and after business school moved to San Francisco for work where he met his first wife Phoebe Valentine. After marrying in 1961, they moved east to Phoebe's hometown of Philadelphia and started a family. California and the Bay Area pulled them back in 1969 and there Dick owned a wholesale hardware business in Burlingame and the family lived in Belvedere. Coming from a small family, Dick wanted to return to be with Phoebe's family and in 1974 they moved to Chestnut Hill. Dick brought his entrepreneurial inclination and penchant for technology, opening up the Delaware Valley's first home computer store, The Byte Shop, which specialized in Apple products. The Byte Shop, later named The Computer Store, was located on the Main Line, and for more than 20 years, the store served schools, institutions and individuals with Apple computer sales and services. He had many returning customers and loyal employees whom he cherished. Dick began dating his current wife Barsha “Bunny” Lloyd 40 years ago and she has been his amazing advocate and unlicensed nurse. As he grew older Bunny either provided or found him the best care possible. On his 90th birthday he woke up and said "I MADE IT!" and we have Bunny to thank for that. He loved her and his family even when he couldn't find the words to say it. Dick was a true character with an unforgettable sense of fun. He and Bunny enjoyed traveling the world and made it a personal challenge to see as many places as possible and fill out their travel map when back home. He loved being a part of the Philadelphia Cricket Club where he played tennis for many years and mischievously flipped butter patties on the dining room ceiling. He loved picnics at the Penllyn Club. Throughout the 1980s he rented a house in Nantucket with his children and every friend who could fit. In later years he and Bunny visited their children in California, Florida, Maine and Vermont. They went to Sanibel, FL for the month of March for the last 20 years. He loved driving a convertible, Neil Diamond, Frank Sinatra and teasing Bunny and his children - sometimes by doing things like filling his yard with holiday inflatables and installing runway lights on the driveway. He loved his gadgets, often being the first to adopt new ones, from cell phones to microwaves to the enormous satellite dish which he hoped would broadcast tennis from across the globe. In his later years, he loved watching the birds in the backyard, while doing the New York Times crossword puzzle. His mantra was "never take life too seriously" and he took this to heart. We will miss him terribly but are grateful for the adventures he took us on. Dick leaves behind his wife and partner, Bunny, children Miles Smith (Karin), Shelley Smith, Dana Valentine (Todd) and Tyson Smith (Justine) and step children Nina (Jeff) and Cricket Large (Dave). He also leaves behind grandchildren Jasper Smith, Phoebe and Zoe Edalatpour, Phoebe, Leo and Eliza Sarandos and Theo and Laszlo Stehle-Smith and step grandchildren Molly, Hannah, Grace, Reed, Aidan, and Lexi. Services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to WHYY or to the charity of the donor's choice.