OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2782, 10 July 1907, Page 65

OBITUARY.

MR R. F. SMITH

A cabloorr.iin vj>« received in town early on the 3rd in-t by Mr H. B. Smith, of Smith arid Smith (Limited), conve3 - ing th^ cad intelligence of the sudden death in London on the l«t in.it. of his brother. Robert Fergus Smith, the well-known oil .and colour merchant of this city. On Monday last the firm received a cable from its London assent Mating that Mr Smith had undergone an o.n^ration for th<? rer.io\al of gallstones, and requesting them to prepare for the wor.it a foreca^r which proved only too true. Mr Smith e\ idontly <-uccumbing 1 shortly after the operation. Mr Smith left New Zealand in March. 1905. for si trip to England, partly for buMnos, and partly for pleasure, and «inco ihen has been travelling extensively m England and on the Continent. His wife anil two daughters. Alice and Saxon, accompanied him to tho Old Country, and were present at the time of his death a s was also his son. Mr Lesli" Smith. 'Ihe only members of his firmly left in Xew Zealand wore his daughter, Tui (wife of Mr Norton Ora.m, who is engaged in th-° businr-rs) and his son, Briton, who is also in the business. The deeea-ed had been in business in Dunedin for fuiiy 30 years, .and had carried on larffj branch businesses at Chii^tchureh and at Wellington. tho former beinsr I'l.d-T the chjii;e of Mr Poolp ou< l.rothn in-!aw), and the latter under •*h r> joint rlurtfo of his brother-,. Vp--i-= IT. B. and W. Smith. The hui-ine^ of the fum has giov.D very rapidly. a>id ;ome few year» atro it was tvjnvprtcd into a private company Ihe late Mr Smith wjs an excellent business man, and was greatly re c r>pcted by a large circle of acquaintances. Though not generally known, he was a large- hearted man who performed a great d*>a! of good without parading the fact. The extensive and pressing nature of the business to a large extent prevented him from participating in public affairs, but he was a prominent member of the Dunedin Bowling Club, of which he was- president in the year 1905-5. and amongst other connections he took great interest in the Otaero Art Society.