Bert L. Smith, PhD, died May 14, 2010. A long-time professor at Wichita State University in the Aerospace Engineering Department, Bert battled brain cancer since December 2006.
Son of the late Roy and Helen Smith, Bert, 78, was born and raised in St. Louis along with an older sister, the late Betty Smith Brennecke (Allan). After graduation from Southwest High School, Bert attended the Missouri School of Mines in Rolla, MO, and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Shortly after graduation, he served four years in the U.S. Navy at the Naval Avionics Facility in Indianapolis, IN, where he met his future wife Joyce.
He is survived by Joyce; son, Kevin; and daughter and son-in-law, Erin and Kenton Stewart; and three grandchildren, Reed Nicole Stewart, Blake Andrew Stewart and Cameron Lou Stewart.
Plans for a memorial service are pending.
Upon discharge from the Navy, Bert contacted MSM about entering graduate school and they in turn asked him to consider teacher along with pursuing his Master's Degree. This was the start of a very long and enjoyable teaching career. During one of the many summers Bert worked in the aerospace industry, he was one of twenty professors selected from across the country to work with the Hughes Aircraft Company in California. It was there that he met the Assistant Dean of Engineering at Kansas State University, also a professor selected for the Hughes Aircraft summer program, who urged Bert to come to K-State to teach and pursue his Doctorate. It didn't take long for Bert to decide to become a Kansan. After five years at K-State, the next stop was Wichita State University where he remained 43 years as a professor and for many of those years, chair of the Aerospace Engineering Department. Along with his teaching, Bert maintained a close relationship with the local aircraft companies, especially Boeing, doing consulting work or conducting classes for their engineers. Recipient of teaching honors and author of many published research papers, Bert always considered himself one of the luckiest people alive because there was no other profession he would have liked more than being a professor and researcher in the WSU Engineering College.
Even though Bert was long past the age 65 when he was forced to retire because of cancer, it was very disappointing because Bert always intended to teach and work on research until he reached the age of 85. He loved his work and those he worked with that much.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.