In Memoriam

Roger Colton Smith
1936-2024

COOPERSTOWN—Roger Colton Smith, 87, of Cooperstown, died peacefully at home the morning of Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

Roger was born at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown on April 28, 1936, the son of LeRoy F. Smith and Gertrude E. (Spurbeck) Smith. After graduating from Cooperstown Central School, Class of 1954, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and completed four years of active duty as a radar man on the USS Fremont, remaining in the U.S. Navy Reserve until 1962.

With help from the G.I. Bill, he enrolled at Georgia Tech in 1959, where he met Dorothy Marie Vidosic. Rog and Dot, as they affectionately came to be known, were married on June 16, 1961 in Cooperstown. In 1963, they moved to Toddsville to the home that they would call Beaver Brook, where they raised four children and lived for the remainder of their lives. They were married for 57 years until Dot passed away at their home on September 29, 2018.

Rog began working at the United States Post Office in 1964 as a mail carrier who rose through the ranks to become postmaster in 1981, serving in that role until his retirement in May of 1991. He was especially proud to have presided over the ceremonial issuing of the first postage stamps to both Jackie Robinson in 1982 and Lou Gehrig in 1989. Shortly after retirement, he soon began managing Spurbeck’s Grocery and in 2000, Rog and Dot acquired ownership from his mother, Gertrude. Together they operated the iconic local landmark until selling it in December 2017 after more than 76 years of family ownership.

While not a man of many words—though he did possess a mastery of mixed metaphors—Rog was always willing to lend a hand, serving the Cooperstown community for decades as a member of the Veteran’s Club and the Rotary Club, where he was an officer and president, and as a Little League baseball coach for many years. Often seen sporting one of his many bucket hats, Rog enjoyed playing softball, bowling, hunting with his dogs, playing pitch at the Vet’s Club with a beer, having breakfast with his friends at the diner, and mowing his lawn. But most of all, he loved to spend time with Dot, whether working together at Spurbeck’s, dining at local restaurants, travelling the U.S. and Europe, or just sitting at home in his chair by the fire together. While he will be missed immensely, it is comforting to know that he is now at peace with Dot once again.

Roger is pre-deceased by his wife, Dorothy Marie (Vidosic) Smith, and his sister, Joan Sandra Smith. He is survived by his brother, Walter Rogers Smith; children Laura Marie (Smith) Flint, Steven Colton Smith, Randall Charles Smith, and Martin Paul Smith; grandchildren Danette, Ariel, Donovan, Stacey, Sidney, Colton, Amiya, and Rowan; and great-grandchildren Kasen, Liam, Finnley, Arwen, and Heughan.

The family invites the community to join them for a Celebration of Life in memory of Roger at the Cooperstown Veteran’s Club on Saturday, February 10 at 3p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Rotary Club of Cooperstown or the Cooperstown Veteran’s Club.