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Doctor Edgar Warren Smith Jr., 79, passed away on Tuesday, April 6, 1999 in Albuquerque. He was born in Hagerstown, Maryland on July 4, 1919, the son of Edgar Warren Smith Sr. and Anna Wagner Smith. On November 14, 1942, he married his childhood sweetheart, Janet Evelyn Baltzley, in Watertown, New York. Shortly thereafter, as a member of the United States Army, he served during World War II in the Anzio Beach landing in Italy, and in the North African Campaign. His personal observation of the horror and destruction of war caused him to dedicate his life to rebuilding humanity. In 1946, he moved to Albuquerque with his wife and infant daughter, to attend the University of New Mexico so that he could become a teacher and begin his life of service to others. He would earn three degrees from UNM, a B.A. in Education in 1948, an M.A. in English in 1950, and a Doctorate in Bilingual Education in 1971. Dr. Smith had a long and distinguished career in education. He joined the Albuquerque Public Schools in 1950 as an English teacher at Albuquerque High School. At Albuquerque High, he was appalled and concerned that so many of his students were unable to even read"not even the title on their English textbook." He began his quest to improve the situation by using comic books in the classroom-an outrageous, but effective teaching tool. He went on to pioneer the Remedial Reading Program at Albuquerque High, which was expanded throughout the district and the state. He became an internationally recognized expert in reading. Following the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the relocation of many Cuban families in Albuquerque, he began another crusade-Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) which he pioneered in the Albuquerque Public Schools and at UNM. His passion to understand Spanish culture took him to Guadalajara Mexico where he attended Spanish Language immersion classes at the Instituto de lenguas de Guadalajara. He later went on to teach in the Head Start program at John Marshall Elementary; then to serve as the Vice Principal at Lincoln Junior High, and finally as Vice Principal at Van Buren Middle School. During Summers, he taught English and literature at the College of St. Joseph. Following his retirement from APS in 1981, he became involved in the American Association of Educational Retirees, as an advocate, and volunteer teacher in health issues for Seniors. In 1993, he was one of ten Americans who received the Health Advocacy Achievement Award in Washington, DC from the American Association of Retired Persons. Dr. Smith's life has been likened to the ripples from a single stone thrown onto a still pond-influencing the thousands of lives he touched; from the bus driver he met in Colorado Springs, to the legislator, to the nurse who cared for him at the end of his life-all former students. All better for having known this special, gentle man. Dr. Smith is survived by his wife of 56 years, Janet; by his daughter, Charity-Anne (Dee) Smith Forrerst, her husband, Jim, and their children, Mary Forrest Seppie and husband, Bryan, and Michael Forrest and wife, Whitney; his son, Matthew Smith and wife, Jeri; his daughter, Sarah-Ellen (Sally) Smith Hinkebein and husband, Tom, and their children, Amy Horger, Heidi Hinkebein Thiele and husband, Greg, and David Hinkebein; his foster daughter, B. Joan Goodman and her son, Aaron Goodman; his sister, Betty Smith Topper, husband, Gene, and their children, Cecilia Topper Haugh, husband, Jim, and family, Thomas Topper, wife, Anne, and family; his sister-in-law, Anna Jean Smith and her daughter, Patricia Smith; and by numerous extended family members, neighbors, and friends at his church, St. Paul Lutheran. Memorial services will be held Saturday, 11:00 a.m., at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 Indian School Rd. NE, with Pastor Larry A. Wright and Pastor Melinda J. Wagner officiating. Private interment will take place at Santa Fe National Cemetery. Friends may visit French Mortuary, 1111 University Blvd. NE, Friday, 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. To honor his memory, the family requests that donations be made to The American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013; or to the St. Paul Lutheran Church Adopted Family Fund, c/o St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 Indian School Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102; or a donation to the charity of your choice. French Mortuary, 1111 University Blvd. NE.
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