1943 ~ 2024
OMENA- Robert Andrew Smart Jr., 80, of Omena, passed away on Sunday, September 8, 2024.
Robert was born on September 21, 1943, to Robert and Irma Smart in Detroit, Michigan.
On June 19, 1971, he married Mary (Flintermann) Smart in Grosse Pointe, and they shared 53 wonderful years together.
Many knew him as a gentle giant with a strong moral compass, a discerning sense of humor, and a closet full of dapper threads.
He had incredible comedic timing, and it was a great satisfaction to coax a laugh from him (if you were lucky enough to get one).
For a man of his stature, he was far from inelegant. He had an eye for design honed at College for Creative Studies. His aesthetic taste was impeccable, and it was applied to the detailed watercolors of Great Lakes freighters he painted, the wood decoys of shorebirds he carved, and the architecture of the old houses he lived in and loved.
A son of the Motor City, he spent 40 years working in the automotive industry, in both design and sales.
He was all about his family, his dogs, his American cars, an ice cold martini, and a Saturday morning on the golf course. While he never got to see his Detroit Lions win that long sought after Lombardi Trophy, somewhere out there, he’ll be rooting for them when they do. Robert was actively involved in the Omena community and was a valued member of the corporate board for Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Robert is survived by his wife, Mary; his son, Andrew; his daughter-in-law, Eva; his sister and brother-in-law, Andrea and Doug Rasmussen; and his cherished granddaughter and fellow artist, Sadie Ray Smart. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Irma Smart. Cremation has taken place, and private family services have been held.
Please share condolences with the family at www.martinson.info Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.
