Bruce Smith

Bruce A. Smith, Ph.D,  passed away on July 12, 2020 at his home in Phoenix, Arizona surrounded by his family. He died from a fast-moving cancer that took everyone by surprise.

Bruce was born on January 10, 1949 in Ames, Iowa to Robert G. Smith and Helen M. (Severson) Smith. Shortly thereafter, the family moved to New Jersey, where they lived until Robert died in a plane crash, when Bruce was ten years old. Helen then brought Bruce and his younger brother, Curtis, to Des Moines, Iowa, in order to be closer to family. Des Moines became Bruce’s hometown, and he put down roots that would ground him until the day he died. 

Bruce was always in pursuit of the next adventure. As a kid, he led his friends on expeditions through the neighborhood creek. As a freshman in college, Bruce, Helen and Curtis lived in Paris, where he also found the time to travel throughout Europe, from Dublin to Moscow to Istanbul to Madrid. He set off on his own, doing on-the-ground research through Costa Rica for the U.S. Agency for International Development. And he made his way down the Amazon River with a friend, eating alligator meat with french dressing. Wherever he went, his talent for leadership and his casual self-sufficiency grew in step with his enthusiasm for the world. 

This desire to see and experience the world never faded and he travelled extensively from his late teens through his sixties, visiting Europe, Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and the Middle East. He usually traveled with his family, and always with a jar of Skippy peanut butter. Perhaps the biggest adventure for Bruce was moving from Des Moines to New York City where he earned a Masters in International Affairs and a Doctorate in Economics at Columbia University. In Manhattan, he made a home with his first wife, Trudi Levine, where they raised their two daughters, Vanessa Levine-Smith and Karlin Gooch. 

After finishing his PhD, Bruce started his long career in finance, where he would put economic theories to the test. He was motivated by two things: first, the intellectual adventure of a good challenge; and second, the belief that more efficient financial systems would lead to better outcomes for the majority. Throughout his tenure at Chase Manhattan Bank, he held many positions, including corporate consultant, new product developer, deputy head of strategic planning, corporate treasury executive, and business executive for treasury services. While his role shifted, his love of problem solving and taking on big, interesting problems always shone through. Bruce was an exceptionally intelligent and thoughtful man. 

Over the years, Bruce maintained his interest in education, serving on the board of trustees of The Calhoun School. He also served for many years as an adjunct professor at Columbia's School of International Affairs. His desire to be of service to others culminated in volunteering with AARP, where he helped senior citizens with their taxes for 10 years.

 After separating from his first wife, he got back in touch with his high school sweetheart, Anne Johnson. They started courting and he eventually moved out to Phoenix, Arizona to be with her. He found joy and peace in the new life he built on the edge of Piestewa Peak with Anne. They married on June 6, 2009 at Scottish Rite in Des Moines, where Bruce’s mother was living and where Anne’s father had lived. Bruce fully embraced his stepdaughter Mindy (Buhrow) Bargeloh and her family, and took his role as Papa to his five grandchildren as seriously as any other. He loved getting on their level, playing with rocks, taking hikes up the wash, feeding the ducks, and taking a turn on the slide. 

Karlin, Vanessa and their respective families traveled to Arizona to be with their dad in his last days. He is profoundly missed by his kin: his wife Anne; daughters Vanessa and Karlin; step-daughter Mindy; sons-in-law Victor Fanucchi, S. Ryan Gooch and Steve Bargeloh; grandchildren, Oliver, Leo, Makenzie, Addison and Brielyn; brother Curtis and sister-in-law Monika; and step-siblings Karen and Bill Schaudt. His family and friends will remember him as a man of great humor, enthusiasm and generosity.