 SMOLSKI,
CHESTER, 81, died Sunday, June 22. He was the husband of
Theresa, to whom he had been married for 59 years.
He had been Professor of Urban Studies at Rhode Island
College for 41 years prior to his retirement in 1994.
Professor Smolski served as a Marine during WWII, where he
fought in the battle of Okinawa and was awarded a Purple
Heart.
He was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to
study at the London School of Economics, and traveled
throughout Europe with his wife and four children for more
than a year on two separate occasions. An acknowledged
expert on urban affairs, he was a frequent guest columnist
for The Providence Journal and Providence Business News,
as well as a contributor to numerous academic
publications.
He served on several public and private corporate and
non-profit boards, commissions and advisory committees.
During Professor Smolski's long career at Rhode Island
College, he co-developed and coordinated the Rhode Island
Geographic Education Alliance, a project of the National
Geographic Society. In his retirement, he worked as a
volunteer at Rhode Island Free Clinic.
Professor Smolski is survived by his wife Theresa, their
four children: Lisa Smolski of Cranston, RI, Paula Jones
of South Orange, NJ, Rena Spangler, also of South Orange,
Michael Smolski of Portland, OR, and five grandchildren:
Katie, Sam, and Will Spangler of South Orange, NJ, and
Celia and Laura Jones of London, England. Above all, he
was a caring and committed father and a natural teacher
who loved travel and adventure and shared that love with
his family and all who knew him.
Visiting hours will be 5-8pm on Wednesday at the
Wilbur-Romano Funeral Home, 615 Main St., Warren. There
will be a brief service at the Veteran's Cemetery in
Exeter on Thursday at 11am. In lieu of flowers, his family
asks that donations in his memory be made to Rhode Island
Free Clinic, 655 Broad St., Providence, RI 02907.
Published in The Providence Journal on
6/24/2008
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