Dr. Laurence C. ‘Topper’ Smith

NORTH CANAAN — Dr. Laurence C. “Topper” Smith, 84, passed away in Denver, Colo., on Jan. 25, 2019, surrounded by his loving family.

Laurence was born and raised in North Canaan, the son of the late Loretta (Donsbough) Smith, a long time teacher in Falls Village.

He is survived by his wife, Dr. Debra Smith; his brother, Peter; his former wife, Mary Gertrude Smith,née Paquette, of Kent and Denver; and his 10 children, 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Laurence graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in 1952 and Trinity College in 1956 and received his Doctorate in Psychology from Clark University in Worcester, Mass. 

He served in the medical corps of the United States Air Force in San Antonio, Texas, and eventually opened private practices in both San Antonio and Denver. He authored many books in his field of psychology and wrote numerous articles for professional journals.

Laurence received medals in both the Winter Senior Olympics for skiing and the Summer Senior Olympics for basketball. He was inducted in 2014 into Housatonic’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

It is not possible to capture the heart and soul of such a large person in just a few paragraphs; suffice it to say that Topper grew up with deep roots that ultimately led to wings of success. A member of the Boy Scouts in North Canaan, he became an Eagle Scout; a student leader in high school, he was Student Council president, a member of the National Honor Society, achieved academic high honors and became an avid basketball player and skier. He entered Trinity College with scholarship assistance, worked several jobs on campus to make ends meet, yet always stayed on Dean’s List. He completed his PhD while raising a family and eventually went on to became a well-known psychologist who helped thousands of patients through his counseling.

In retirement, he and Debra traveled extensively, particularly loved the islands of the Caribbean and ultimately bought their dream home in St. Martin.

Topper lived life to its fullest: a loving family man, highly regarded in his profession, an exceptional athlete, a person who cared about others and never lost his sense of humor.

Our hearts are deeply saddened as we grieve the loss of this very special husband, brother and father but we are so thankful that we were able to share his life for all these years.

Condolences may be sent to Dr. Debra Smith, 5850 Nelson Court, Arvada, CO 80004 or  smithdjmd@gmail.com.