Richard "Dick" Smolens

Richard (Dick) Smolens of Jenner’s Pond, PA, formerly of Great Neck, NY and New York City, passed away on May 11, 2023 at age 92, after a long, full and spirited life.

Born in Manhattan to Morris and Margery (Wolper) Smolens, he and his sister Joan were raised on Amsterdam Avenue above the famous “Barney Greengrass, the Sturgeon King” delicatessen.  He recently recounted that at age 8, his father Morris ("Moe" to Marge) gave him a Buffalo nickel and told him to use it to ride the New York City Subway, but to stay above 14th Street because below 14th The City was more confusing for a young child to navigate.  He and Joan explored the wonders of Manhattan while getting into urban mischief and starring in their father's home films like “Schemers of 1936.”  Clearly Dick inherited a creative gene from Moe, an artist, as he penned a popular comic book, “The Morning Glory,” in high school.  From Marge he inherited a great sense of adventure and a strong-willed attitude.

A stellar shooter and pinpoint passer, Dick excelled in basketball, playing at the renowned 92nd Street Y with guys like future NCAA Champion Lennie Rosenbluth and on AAU teams.  Dick worked as a basketball counselor at Camp Arundel, mentoring young boys like Larry and Herb Brown, who would eventually become NBA coaches.   At Arundel’s sister Camp Aquilla, Dick met counselor Barbara Hoffman, of Brookline, MA, and they married and moved to Long Island.  After graduating from CCNY and receiving a Masters from NYS Teachers College and an EdD from Columbia University, Dick taught elementary school, high school and college, working as a Professor of Education at Hunter College in New York City until retirement in 1991.

Barbara and Dick had two children, Amy and Michael.  Dick passed along his love of athletics to them, bringing the kids to pro and collegiate contests as well as to his own softball games.  Thanks to him, they are experts in keeping a baseball scorecard and their sports knowledge rivals the best of them.  When he shot hoops with them at local parks he still had his sweet set shot.  The family enjoyed traveling around the U.S. and Canada, including a memorable cross-country camping trip in the summer of 1970, on which Dick famously prided himself in taking the family “off the beaten path.”  They visited National Parks and Native American reservations, climbed mountains, swam in lakes, took in Minor League ballgames and cooked outside, studiously avoiding any campsite at which they saw Airstreams.  During the brief time when Grammy Marge joined them, Dick & Barbara had the great fortune to see “The King,” Elvis Presley, perform live in Las Vegas while the kids marveled at the slot machines in Denny’s and played at Circus Circus. Dick always asserted that he spotted Barbara in the audience in the documentary, "Elvis: That's the Way it Is" and who are we to doubt him?  The rest of the trip was back to normal, with the family exploring and experiencing the outdoors.

Amy and Michael both emulated their parents and found work in careers they could thrive in and enjoy.  Like Dick, they were accomplished athletes, and both work professionally in sports, which gratified Dick tremendously.

Dick’s other passion was music. His “second career” was that of a jazz singer, thanks to mentors such as Danny Holgate, Mel Davis and Bill Wurtzel.  In hindsight, that was logical since as a young boy, his own father Moe used to sing on NYC street corners with the likes of George Jessel and George Burns.  Sister Joan was an accomplished pianist since childhood.  In his post-retirement profession, Dick performed around the U.S., sometimes with his group, the “Long Island Sound,” as well as teaching courses in music history.

In 1989 Barbara Hoffman Smolens passed away after a battle with cancer.  Later, Dick met and married Jean Gustafson, moving to Jenner's Pond, PA.

Michael and his wife Patti Crisafulli have two daughters, Katherine (Kate) and Diana, who inherited Dick’s stage presence.  He adored watching his granddaughters perform in plays, dances and concerts.

Dick was a thoughtful and loving son, brother, friend, teammate, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and bandmate.  He loved spending time with family and friends, especially in jam sessions in Pennsylvania, New York and Florida.

A sports fan to the end, he took pleasure in watching various competitions on tv and appreciated the great skills of the athletes, despite lamenting the music blaring during their games.

Dick is survived by his son, Michael Smolens and wife, Patti Crisafulli; his daughter, Amy Smolens and partner, Francesco Papalia; his granddaughters, Katherine and Diana; and his wife Jean.

Dick will be cremated and his ashes will be scattered in locations dear to him.  Wherever he is, we are sure he will enjoy being “off the beaten path” again, reunited with Barbara.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the charity of your choice.

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