November 26, 1932 – May 18, 2023

Husband and father, teacher and scholar, connoisseur of fine cigars and single malt Scotch, raconteur and provocateur, contemplative and argumentative, endearing and irritating, disciplined and impulsive. Over the course of his 90 years, Frank X. Smith was many things. But above all, he was an Artist.

For Frank, his life and his art were inseparable. Art permeated every fiber of his being, from the drawings, paintings, and designs he produced, to the environments he created, to the clothes he chose to wear.  His personality was as vivid and colorful as his work.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to John and Mary (Maguire) Smith, Frank graduated from West Catholic High School. He had begun his art studies at Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art (now the University of the Arts) when he was called to serve in the Korean War. Following the war, he resumed his studies and found that his art had been profoundly influenced and changed by his experience in Korea and Japan. The rising sun, which, to the young paratrooper came to symbolize hope and home, appears in nearly every design, drawing, illustration, and painting Frank has created ever since.

After his graduation from art school, Frank worked as a graphic designer and illustrator for a company that produced restaurant menus and placemats. It was to be his only full-time job: when the company moved from Philadelphia to the Midwest, Frank opted to remain in Philadelphia. He taught art and graphic design in several schools and universities in Philadelphia, including Holy Child Academy, Hussian School of Art, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Holy Family University, and LaSalle University.  Even after he retired from teaching, Frank never stopped recognizing, encouraging, and nurturing young talent. He also owned and operated a graphic design studio whose clients included the U.S. Postal Service, Franciscan Mission Associates, and Insurance Company of North America.

In later years, Frank devoted himself to painting. He was prolific, painting every day and producing diverse works ranging from figurative art to abstractions. Frank achieved Signature Artist status with the Pennsylvania Water Color Society, Baltimore Watercolor Society, and Alabama Watercolor Society and his work was included in major juried exhibitions, including the American Watercolor Society.

Thanks to the devoted staff of Serenity Hospice and Bayada nurses, Frank was able to remain in his home where he was visited by family and close friends who shared stories and reminiscences of this unforgettable man.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Smith; his brothers, John Smith and Joseph Smith; and his nephew, Stephen Maguire.

Frank leaves behind his devoted wife, Maria DiRienzo-Smith, and their English Cocker Spaniel, Oscar, and his loving children, Michael Smith (Eileen) and Rachel Scott (John). To his five grandchildren, Ryan Smith (Loren); Caitlin Smith; Hannaleigh Trimble (Bradley); Zoey Scott; and Maya Scott, Frank was a fun, unpredictable, and untraditional Pop Pop who encouraged their pursuits and took pride in their accomplishments. He also leaves behind his nephews, Joseph Smith (Nina) and Peter Smith (Annette), who dropped everything to be by his bedside, and numerous friends and acquaintances whose lives have become a little less colorful.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his Funeral Mass on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 at 11:00am at St. Mark Church, 1025 Radcliffe Street, Bristol Borough, PA. A viewing will be held from 9:00am until 10:45am at the Church. Interment will follow at Our Lady of Grace Cemetery in Langhorne, PA. Arrangements are under the direction of Wade Funeral Home, Bristol Borough, PA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Frank’s memory be made to the Franciscan Mission Associates, 274-280 W. Lincoln Avenue, P. O. Box 598, Mt. Vernon, NY 10551-0598, or the Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516.

Service Details

In Memory of
Francis X. Smith

Upload a photo or write a condolence in memory of your loved one