George W. Smith, Jr., 95, died April 26, 2020 at Valley Terrace Assisted Living in Wilder, VT.

Mr. Smith was born August 19, 1924, in Hanover, NH, the son of George W. and Mildred A. (McCarthy) Smith. His family was long established in White River Junction. Despite later travel, he always called this his home town. His early education, under teachers he always respected and commended, was at White River Grammar School and Hartford High School. He finished his secondary education at the Loomis School in Windsor, Connecticut.

During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving for four years, two of them overseas in North Africa and Italy. He entered the army as a private and was discharged as a warrant officer.

After the war's interruption, Mr. Smith returned to education, earning an A.B. degree from Williams College and A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University, where he was a teaching fellow. For many years, he spent summers on the non-teaching staff at the Bread Loaf School of English and Writers' Conference of Middlebury College. Among various jobs, he managed the bookstore there.

A scholar gypsy, Mr. Smith taught English language and literature at a number of schools, including Vanderbilt University, the University of Kentucky, Boston College, and Bridgewater State College.

The depth of George's commitment to teaching and mentoring his students was matched by his unwavering kindness and devotion to his family. Not unlike his beloved Dickens character, Mr. Wemmick, George was a steadfast caretaker of his Aged parents.

Mr. Smith was a lifelong parishioner of St. Anthony's Church in White River Junction and a member of the Lake Mitchell Trout Club in Sharon, Vermont. In 2005 he married Roberta Scott Simonds of Wilder, Vermont. In retirement, he hoped to spend his last days visiting the Bugbee Senior Center, where he had a number of friends, planting flowers in lonely places, watching bluebirds, shoveling snow, studying Dante (a special ambition), and maintaining his family property.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, a stepson and step-granddaughter, his sister-in-law, a nephew and niece, three grand-nieces, one grand-nephew, and several cousins. George was predeceased by his brother, Everett John Smith.

There are no visiting hours and there will be no funeral obsequies.

The charity of any gifts in George's memory should be directed to the Council on Aging, 262 North Main Street, White River Junction, Vermont, or St. Anthony's Church, 15 Church Street, White River Junction, Vermont.

Knight Funeral Home is in charge of burial. Condolences may be expressed to George's family in an online guestbook at knightfuneralhomes.com.