Smith, Robert R.

29 Apr Smith, Robert R.

Robert Richardson Smith, lawyer and longtime Annapolis resident, died of complications of acute lymphoblastic leukemia at Johns Hopkins Hospital on February 4, 2020. Born on February 10, 1950 in Washington, DC, Rob grew up in Bethesda, MD. He was a graduate of Walter Johnson High School and completed his undergraduate study at UNC Chapel Hill, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors in Political Science. In 1975, he graduated Order of the Coif with honors from the University of Maryland Law School, where he was an editor on the Maryland Law Review. He was one of Acting Governor Blair Lee’s attorneys on the Governor’s staff and an Assistant Attorney General representing the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. He was engaged in the general practice of law with large firms in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., and from 1989 until 2020, Rob was in private local practice. 

On September 27, 1980, Rob married the love of his life, Sherrie Burton. He later became an adoring father to two children, Lindsay Smith Rogers (Nate) of Baltimore and Andrew Smith of Baltimore. He was an excellent “cat dad” to many beloved pets throughout the years. From 1982 – 2002, Rob was close to many Midshipmen from the United States Naval Academy that the family sponsored. An avid runner, Rob was a member of the Annapolis Striders. He was also an avid sports fan – he loved watching tennis and UNC basketball, and was thrilled when his beloved Nationals won the World Series in 2019. When he wasn’t watching sports, he was reading; he could be found dipping into lengthy historical works, both nonfiction and fiction, or reading every line of Apple’s terms of service agreements. He was an expert at finding free WiFi. Rob was the president of Parole Rotary Club of Annapolis in 2017-2018 and a Trustee of First Presbyterian Church of Annapolis. In 1987, he was a founding board member of Arundel Habitat for Humanity. 

In 2012, Rob underwent treatment for head and neck cancer. He was declared cured in 2014. Rob is survived by his wife and two children; his mother, Patricia E. Smith; two sisters, Kathryn Smith and Elizabeth Smith Wolff (Diedrich), and two nieces and five nephews. He is predeceased by his father, William Francis Smith.