Irving Smith, age 89, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, and a longtime resident of Syracuse, died Sunday, October 15, 2006, at Crouse Hospital after a lengthy battle from complications of oral cancer. He was the founder and president of a prominent upstate New York wholesale liquor distributorship, S & K Wine and Liquor Corporation. Irving started his career as one of the first five employees of Seagram Distilleries immediately after the end of prohibition. He started that career in the mailroom and worked his way up to Upstate New York Sales Manager. While employed at Seagram's he met and married his first wife, Vera Donaghy Smith, who predeceased him in 1973. He left Seagram in 1951 after rejecting an offer to become the New York City's Sales Manager in order to establish his own business, S & K of Syracuse. During World War II, Irving served with distinction in the U.S. Army in Germany, Belgium and France. When VJ Day was declared, he was on his way to join the battle in the Pacific and his ship was rerouted to Boston and he became one of the first soldiers to return to the U.S. after the war. In 1975 he married his current wife, Barbara Roberts Smith, and enjoyed 32 years in his second marriage. He is survived by his two children, a daughter, Leslie Smith Needham, and son, James B. Smith; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two stepsons, Phillip and Edward Roberts. Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006, at the Birnbaum Funeral Chapel, 1909 East Fayette St. Friends may call on Wednesday at the chapel from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Published in Syracuse Post Standard on Oct. 17, 2006
Published in Syracuse Post Standard on Oct. 17, 2006
Irving Smith, age 89, a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, and a longtime resident of Syracuse, died Sunday, October 15, 2006, at Crouse Hospital after a lengthy battle from complications of oral cancer. He was the founder and president of a prominent upstate New York wholesale liquor distributorship, S & K Wine and Liquor Corporation. Irving started his career as one of the first five employees of Seagram Distilleries immediately after the end of prohibition. He started that career in the mailroom and worked his way up to Upstate New York Sales Manager. While employed at Seagram's he met and married his first wife, Vera Donaghy Smith, who predeceased him in 1973. He left Seagram in 1951 after rejecting an offer to become the New York City's Sales Manager in order to establish his own business, S & K of Syracuse. During World War II, Irving served with distinction in the U.S. Army in Germany, Belgium and France. When VJ Day was declared, he was on his way to join the battle in the Pacific and his ship was rerouted to Boston and he became one of the first soldiers to return to the U.S. after the war. In 1975 he married his current wife, Barbara Roberts Smith, and enjoyed 32 years in his second marriage. He is survived by his two children, a daughter, Leslie Smith Needham, and son, James B. Smith; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two stepsons, Phillip and Edward Roberts. Services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2006, at the Birnbaum Funeral Chapel, 1909 East Fayette St. Friends may call on Wednesday at the chapel from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Published in Syracuse Post Standard on Oct. 17, 2006
Published in Syracuse Post Standard on Oct. 17, 2006
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