Robert Smith, volunteer, dies at 87

It didn't matter who it was in need of assistance -- Robert Smith was always willing to lend a hand.

Whether it was an old friend, a veteran or someone he never met, Smith was always willing to help, his son, Wayne Smith of North Tustin, Calif., said.

"[That was] just the type of guy he was," Wayne Smith said. "No matter what, he would help whoever needed help."

Smith, a longtime community volunteer, past president and secretary of the West Hempstead Kiwanis and a World War II vet, died June 6 after giving a speech at a scholarship dinner at Pompei Ristorante. He was 87.

A member of the Kiwanis for more than 30 years and a board member of the West Hempstead Chamber of Commerce, Smith was involved with countless charities and organizations throughout his life, his son said. Whether he worked for the Empire State Games for the Physically Challenged, spearheaded efforts for the Sept. 11 memorial at Hall's Pond Park or simply gave a fellow veteran a ride to the doctor, it seemed like he was always helping. This led to Smith being named the West Hempstead Person of the Year in 2003.

"This is the way he was. Anybody he met, he would kiss them, hug them, and just tell them something like, 'Oh, you look so gorgeous today.' It's hard to describe a person like that, you really had to know him," said George Silkes, a close friend. "You ask anybody in the community, and they would say the same thing."

Smith was born on Sept. 23, 1923, in Orange, N.J. He volunteered for the Army in 1942 and served in the 82nd Airborne Division. He took part in the liberation of Belgium, the Battle of the Bulge and the occupation of Berlin.

SEE PHOTOSNotable deaths: Long Islanders we recently lost

Silkes thinks seeing the hardship of war and the Holocaust is what instilled Smith with such generosity.