Philip J. "P.J." Smith

Philip J. “P.J.” Smith, 88, of Bloomington, Indiana passed away on December 10, 2018 in his home. Philip was born on May 16, 1930 in Brooklyn, NY to the late Philip and Anna (Connolly) Smith. He attended Cardinal Hays High School in the Bronx, NY, and graduated in 1948. Philip went on to attend Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. During his time at Iona, he became editor of the yearbook and was active in photography, running track, and the Gaelic Club. He graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He moved to Washington DC and began what was to be a 40-year career as a chemical engineer with various weapons and ordinance support programs, mainly with the U.S. Navy. It was during this time that Philip met and married the love of his life, Gloria Rhodes. They had four children while living in Washington. In 1960, Philip accepted a position with Crane Naval Ammunition Depot and moved to Bloomington. He and Gloria had two more children. They spent 64 wonderful years together. Phil loved Bloomington and remained devoted to public service and volunteerism in the community. He was a member of St Charles Catholic church where he developed lifelong friendships and began his love affair with golf, particularly the IU golf course where he frequently played as a member of Belles and Beaus. He was devoted to IU basketball and leaves a collection of red jackets and sweaters as evidence. He also loved to travel mainly to Florida, Hawaii and Houston to visit his family. Philip was a student of history and was particularly knowledgeable about the Civil War often organizing family vacations around tours of famous Civil War battle sites. Philip was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and friend, his sense of humor and antics could light up a room. He will be deeply missed by his friends, family, and all who loved him. Philip is survived by his wife, Gloria (Rhodes) Smith; children, Elaine Smith of Kingwood, TX, Philip Smith, Jr. of Bloomington, IN, Chris van Bergeijk (Eric) of Kailua, HI, Cindy Brown (Mike) of Indianapolis, IN, Patty Reutell (Terry) of Columbus, IN, Steve Smith (Luann) of Simpsonville, SC; sister, Roseanne Burke of Mont Claire, NJ; 10 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild. A Celebration of life will be held on January 5th at Allen Funeral Home and Crematory, 4155 S. Old State Rd. 37, Bloomington, IN 47401. Friends may visit from 3:00 - 6:00 at the funeral home. A memorial service will begin at 5:00. Memorial contributions may be made to Stone Belt or The First Tee of Indiana (Bloomington) You are invited to share a memory or leave an online condolence to Philip's family at www.allencares.com

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Philip J. "P.J." Smith

May 16, 1930 - December 10, 2018