Melvin Smith

Melvin Smith was born to the late Nathan Caleb Smith, Jr., and Dorothy Dorsey Smith on July 31, 1936, at Provident Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He grew up in Cooksville (Howard County), Maryland and departed this earthly life on Tuesday, November 22, 2022, at the age of 86 on the exact same date that his beloved father Nathan Smith had departed 11 years earlier. Melvin grew up with his seven siblings on Bushy Park Road in Cooksville, a beautiful enclave of Black families located in the bucolic farmlands of Western Howard County. He grew up in a small country house without running water or electricity but full of love. Melvin or "Bubba" as his siblings called him, attended a segregated four room schoolhouse, Cooksville School, for his elementary education and after graduating from there, moved on to be a student at all Black Harriet Tubman High School in what was then known as Simpsonville, Maryland. He was an outstanding student at both, winning awards for his oratorical and writing skills. Melvin attended Mt. Gregory United Methodist Church in Cooksville as a child later joining as a member and accepting Christ as his Lord and Savior. At the time of his death, he was a faithful member of Strawbridge United Methodist Church located in New Windsor, Maryland. After graduating from Harriet Tubman High School in June of 1954, Melvin joined the Air Force selecting Dental Laboratory Technology as his specialty and was sent to the School of Aviation Medicine at Gunter Air Force Base (A.F.B.) in Montgomery, Alabama graduating with a degree in Dental Technology and was then assigned to Bolling A.F.B. in Washington, D.C. He also served at Harmon A.F.B. in Canada. In May of 1958 Melvin was discharged and moved to Washington, D.C. where he reconnected with his friends at Bolling A.F.B. who let him train with the Golden Gloves Boxing Team. He won the Golden Gloves Lightweight Championship in 1959.Melvin later took advantage of the G.I. Bill and obtained a BS from American University and then received his Law degree from Howard University. Melvin was employed as a Contract Specialist for the U.S. Government. He was also a poet and has published several poetry books still enjoyed by his family and friends. Melvin met the love of his life, Janice Reynolds (deceased) while in the D.C. area and they married in November of 1961.Out of that union were born two wonderful sons, David and Daryl, the best sons any parent could hope for. Over the next 30 years, Melvin, a constant enterprising spirit, enjoyed coaching amateur boxers, selling Sno-Balls, boxing equipment and custom sportswear with his son Daryl and being with his Strawbridge Church family. Melvin was blessed with a good long life and many friends that he truly enjoyed. He was preceded in death by his wife Janice, his father and mother, his brother Reverend Charles Smith (Juanita), his daughter-in-law, Jacqueline, and his brother-in-law Harold Reynolds. He leaves to cherish his memory sons Daryl and David Smith, granddaughters Aza Smith, Tyra Nicole and Mary Antoinette, sisters Shirley Myers (Harvey), Rosele Stanton (Chester), Mabel Holland (Herbert), Sonja Boston, Joan Hash (Bert), Jean James (Ralph), Aunt Genevieve Cook and sister-in-law Carmen Shell, a host of cousins, nieces and nephews and many other special friends whom he cherished.

Melvin Smith

July 31, 1936 - November 22, 2022