Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith died on Friday, January 16, 2026, in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, just a few weeks shy of his 96th birthday. Nate was a loving husband, a devoted father, and a deeply caring mentor and friend to countless students, colleagues and community members whose paths he crossed in a long life committed to the highest ideals of his vocation as an educator. Nate was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 3, 1930 to Celia (Satz) and Abraham Smith (originally Avram Smikun), Jewish immigrants from Ukraine and Lithuania. Nate’s early home life was filled with love, family, and music. His father owned a barbershop, but also played several instruments, encouraging Nate and his younger brother Boris to take up the double bass and, later, the mandolin. At Harrison High School, Nate played in the school orchestra and performed in a local swing band called “The Twilight Swingsters.” The first in his family to pursue higher education, he graduated from Roosevelt College (now Roosevelt University), where he discovered his calling as a scholar. Nate earned his Ph.D. in Russian History from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1956. Drawing on his Eastern European heritage and his language skills, Nate’s research on the Russian revolution included travel to the former Soviet Union and collaboration with the Russian novelist, Nina Berberova, to document the lives of anti-communist refugees. According to Nate, it was at an American History seminar in graduate school that he looked across the table and was immediately smitten with the sole female student in the class, Margaret “Jeanne” Larson. They were married on June 28th,1958 in Rockford, Illinois. Nate and Jeanne settled in Chestertown, Maryland, where Nate would embark on his long career as Professor of European History at Washington College. Arriving at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, Nate embraced the cause of racial integration both in the town and at the college, participating in Chestertown’s Freedom Rider protest of 1962, and leading the college’s efforts to welcome a more diverse student community. He carried his passion for social justice, historical awareness, and institutional integrity into every facet of his service to Washington College, where he taught generations of students, chaired the History Department for decades, and served as Dean of the College. He received the prestigious Lindback Award for excellence in teaching along with other accolades for his service to the college. In his later years, he and Skipper, the family dog, were a beloved fixture on campus. In retirement, Nate and Jeanne moved to Wynnewood, Pennsylvania to be near his young grandchildren, David and Ned. In addition to providing invaluable help with child care and home repairs, Nate continued to pursue his passion for music. He joined the Munier Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra playing venues across the city of Philadelphia, including a televised performance at a Phillies game. He shared his love of classical music with his grandchildren, frequently taking them to see the Philadelphia Orchestra. In his last days, Nate was thrilled when his grandson, Michael, recently performed at Carnegie Hall as concertmaster for the New York String Orchestra. Nate was a consummate family man. His four children remember him as a constant presence in their lives, from the earliest days of childhood, when he would share his favorite books, take them on camping trips, and follow their every move with a home movie camera. In later years, he would offer emotional support, professional and academic advice, and his indispensable handyman skills. He warmly embraced his children’s spouses and rejoiced in the lives of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Nathan Smith is survived by his wife, Margaret Jeanne Smith, his four children and their spouses: Sarah Smith-Putman (Jeff), Jeremy Smith (SoYoung Lee), Karen Smith (Eleanor ter Horst), and Samuel Smith (Patty) as well as his six grandchildren, Jenna Joswick (Donny), Laura Putman, David Smith, Edward (Ned) Smith, Michael Smith, Todd Rhoades, and his great-grandchildren Payton Putman and Luca Joswick. He was predeceased by his parents, Abraham and Celia Satz Smith, and two younger brothers, Boris “Buddy” Smith and Sheldon Lawrence Smith. Services will be held at Fellows, Helfenbein, and Newnam on Monday, January 19, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. All in attendance are invited to a reception luncheon at the funeral home with interment to follow at Crumpton Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, and as a tribute to Nate’s love of animals and advocacy of civil rights, memorial gifts may be made to the ASPCA, ACLU, or the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Nathan Smith

February 3, 1930 - January 16, 2026