Richard Arthur Smith – 93, passed at his home in the early morning of Tuesday, August 4th, attended by family. A life-time resident of the Drakestown and Smithtown Road area of Mount Olive, Richard graduated from Hackettstown High School and farmed the area in his early life. He resided with his family, in the house he and his wife had built, for seventy-two years. Richard and his wife, Dorothy, owned and operated Smith’s Greenhouses, he worked for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, and he retired from M & M Mars in 1991 after being employed there for thirty-one years.

Richard was an avid gardener, was active through his later life, loved working with his hands, and he never lost a game of checkers. He enjoyed yard sales, trips to Lancaster, visiting with family and friends, reminiscing local history, and was a member of The New Jersey Farm Bureau, M & M Mars Retirees Club, Crafts of New Jersey, Hackettstown Historical Society, Morris Canal Society, Friends of Waterloo, and Friends of Gettysburg.

Richard was a quiet, genuinely kind, thoughtful person, always willing to give what he could to help someone along their way. He will be lovingly missed and remembered by his surviving family of five children, their spouses, six grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Flowers can be sent to Cochran Funeral Home – or – in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made in Richard’s name to: Canal Society of New Jersey P.O. Box 737 Morristown, NJ 07960.

Visitation will be held at Cochran Funeral Home, 905 High Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840 on Monday, August 10th from 4-8 pm. Internment and graveside service will be held at 10 am on Tuesday, August 11th at Union Cemetery, Hackettstown, New Jersey. Online condolences may be left at www.cochranfuneral.com