My dad's name was properly written as William X Smith. The oddity was that there was no period after that letter as X was his middle name and NOT his middle initial. His parents could not agree on a middle name, but with the name Smith they felt that he needed some sort of distinction, so his middle name was listed as simply X and that was even difficult during his Ohio collegiate days and his seminary days at Kenyon College and Bexley Hall, respectively where they were always TRYING to add that non-existent period!!!

He was, in fact, Vicar at St. Luke's Eddystone, PA, a small struggling mission of the Diocese of Pennsylvania that was located at 1400 East 10th St. at the corner of Tenth St and Saville Ave. He was there from 1961 until his retirement in August, 1973 and during that time the parish celebrated its 75th anniversary as a mission. He had previously been in Pomoma, CA and then was rector at Christ Church, Laredo TX and then was offered the assistant rectorship at Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia. He then went to St. Mary's Hamilton Village where he served at rector for 17 years and was also Episcopal Chaplain to the students at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1961, he wanted a new challenge and agreed to take on St. Luke's and upon his retirement the members elected a young man from the Diocese of Albany who arrived and within one moth declared himself be POPE!. My dad delighted in telling friends that he was succeeded by a Pope!!!!

The organist much of the time he was at St. Luke's was my mother, Alice Perkins Smith, and on some occasions, when a substitute was needed, John Bullock came to take on the musical duties. She went on to be organist at Church of the Redeemer, Springfield and then finally at Christ Church, Media, PA.

My dad has been dead for about 20 years now [2004], but my mother and I live close to each other in Delaware county. She at a retirement community and I live near Riddle Hospital.

**RICH SMITH** - only child of William X and Alice P. Smith

[Obituary]