Gary Arlen Smith, age 91, died at his home in St. Louis on July 19, 2026.
He was born in Canton, OH, on January 15, 1935, to Norman K. and Daisy
Deal Smith, and grew up in Massillon, OH. His parents preceded him in
death, as did his brother Donald K. Smith.

Gary married Shirley Ann Eisenhut Bynum on October 23, 1993, and she
survives. He is also survived by his children, Laurie Berger (David) and
Scott Smith (Julie Heller); his stepchildren Purris Williams, Carlyn Katz
(Rick), Kimberly Kelty (Mark), and Jill Moseley (John); his brother-in-law
John Eisenhut (Marion); 14 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren; and
beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as many colleagues and
friends.

Gary, a musician himself, loved music and musicians of many stripes. He
began his trumpet playing career in 7 th grade, graduated from Massillon
High School in 1953, and from the Eastman School of Music, Rochester,
NY, in 1957 with a BME. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, served 3 years in the
U.S. Army Band at West Point, NY, and took advantage of the proximity to
New York City by taking trumpet lessons from Harry Glantz of the NBC
Symphony Orchestra. After his time at West Point, Gary played for a year
in l’Orchestre symphonique de Quebec in Canada, followed by a return to
the U.S. and tours with the North Carolina Symphony and with the Boston
Pops under Arthur Fiedler, then a subsequent move to Boston. He earned
a master’s degree in trumpet performance from Boston University, studied
with Armando Ghitalla of the Boston Symphony, worked with the Greater
Boston Youth Orchestra, taught brass and trumpet pedagogy at BU, played
as a substitute and extra with the Boston Symphony under Eric Leinsdorf
and Jean Martineau, and as a freelancer around Boston. In 1966 he had
begun work on a doctorate when, at the behest of Armando Ghitalla, he
took a detour to St. Louis to fill a one-year appointment with the St. Louis
Symphony Orchestra. He never left, playing in the trumpet section under
the batons of Eleazar de Carvallo, Walter Susskind, Jerzy Semkov,
Leonard Slatkin, Hans Vonk, and David Robertson. In 2007, he retired after
41 years with the St. Louis Symphony.

Gary served as personnel manager of the orchestra from 1986 to 1990;
and as a member of Musicians’ Union Local 2-197, he served the orchestra
on negotiating committees and other union musicians’ organizations from
his first year in St. Louis; and for nearly as many years he represented all
union musicians as vice president and executive board member of Local 2-
197. He was a union man from high school until his last day.
A lifelong student of the trumpet, Gary not only played in the symphony but
also taught trumpet students at his home studio and at the St. Louis
Conservatory, Washington University, and the University of Missouri-St.
Louis. He enjoyed teaching and was pleased that more than a handful of
his students became professional musicians or educators. He was
especially pleased to have started three granddaughters on their
instruments—violin, cello, and flute—and to have them return music to him
by playing as a trio on his 90 th birthday. For 32 years, from 1994 to 2026,
Gary played Auld Lang Syne at midnight each New Year’s Eve from his
front steps to applause and cheers of neighbors who gathered for the show.
He added the Notre Dame fight song for his nextdoor neighbor, When the
Saints Go Marching In as a nod to New Orleans musicians, and a few other
flourishes.

In addition to his playing career, Gary was a fly fisherman, camper, hiker,
and backpacker who for many years made a summer trip to Yellowstone
National Park to refresh and refuel. He also enjoyed photography (he got
his dream darkroom just when the self-developing-of-film tide turned),
skiing, tennis, an occasional game of golf, and food—cooking, reading
recipes, dreaming of Michelin restaurants. Many knew him as a raconteur
with myriad interests and many stories to tell.

Notably, Gary dealt with major health issues for more than 25 years,
including CML (leukemia) and end stage renal disease, undergoing kidney
dialysis for more than five years. Always, he persevered.

Gary donated his body to the Washington University School of Medicine. A
memorial service and reception will take place at the Church of St. Michael
and St. George, Clayton, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2026.

If you wish to honor any of Gary’s interests, please consider a contribution
to Continuum Vocal Ensemble (continuumstl.org/donate), the Organ Fund
of the Church of St. Michael and St. George (aposnanski@csmsg.org), and
the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (slso.org).