Dana D. Smith

With love and gratitude for the life of Dana Dwight Smith December 26, 1951 – August 15, 2025 Dana Dwight Smith, 73, of Royal Palm Beach, and formerly of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, peacefully entered immortality August 15, 2025 with his beloved wife of more than 52 years, Darrylyn Deborah Seegert Smith at his side. Dana was the first-born son of Dwight Winton Smith, born in Danvers, Massachusetts, and Joyce Carol Froelich Smith, born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His father was stationed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center near North Chicago, Illinois when he met his future bride in Milwaukee. The outbreak of the Korean War preempted their October wedding, so the couple were hastily married in Washington, District of Columbia on July 14, 1950. Despite extended periods of separation during Dwight’s service in the U.S. Navy, the couple welcomed their first child in Milwaukee on the day after Christmas, 1951. Dana was the first of this Smith family’s descendants born outside of New England in centuries. His father was severely injured during the war, and while awaiting his medical retirement from active duty, the family moved to south Texas. His father served as DJ for a nighttime Country Western music show – his signoff each night was dedicated to his infant son: “Goodnight, my little Buckaroo”. The family returned to Milwaukee awaiting the opportunity to return to Dwight’s native New England. Dana grew up on the near North Side of Milwaukee, an only child for more than eight years. When his parents shared the news that another baby was on the way, Dana is remembered as preferring to get a dog instead. Now firmly rooted in Milwaukee, his parents built a new house for their expanding family on the far Northwest side with a separate bedroom for both children. His baby brother, Dale Rogers Smith, arrived that August. Within three months of moving, his maternal grandmother joined them, and his brother’s crib was relocated into Dana’s room. He did also get his dog, a female Beagle he named Dynamite, or Dyna’ for short. As a toddler, Dale would call for Dana shouting “MA-koo” – derivation unknown. Dana was exceptionally protective of his baby brother. As the boys grew up, summers were spent at their paternal grandparents’ “Camp” on Manning Lake near Gilmanton, New Hampshire or camping in Wisconsin’s State Parks. A product of the Milwaukee Public Schools, Dana was a member of the inaugural graduating class from Milwaukee James Madison HS. He briefly attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee studying Music Appreciation. He fulfilled his mother’s lifelong dream of performing on stage as the lead singer for many local rock-n-roll bands including The Whereabouts, The Decades, Approaching Storm and Storm. Winners of the Milwaukee ‘Battle of the Bands’ at the Washington Park bandshell singing the Harry Nilsson song “One” recorded by Three Dog Night, performing and singing brought him tremendous joy and great pride to his parents and brother. He met the love of his life, his Darrie, as a teenager and began a lifelong love story that defines commitment. Best Man and Maid of Honor at the wedding of Dana’s dear friend, Raymond “Butch” Dahl, and Darrie’s beloved cousin, Patricia “Pat” Bauer, they fell deeply in love. They married at Wauwatosa Avenue UMC in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin on a cold November day just four days after Darrie’s 18th birthday with his 12-year-old brother as Best Man and her 15-year-old sister, Jodean Marie Seegert, as Maid of Honor. Their honeymoon in Florida lit the fuse for a lifetime devotion to life in the Sunshine State. Dana worked for many years with his father in the television business, scampering across rooftops and crawling through asbestos-infested attics. When the opportunity came to assume leadership of the South Florida office of his company’s operation, Dana and Darrie leapt at the chance to relocate from snowy Wisconsin. Recognized for his talents working artistically with his hands crafting beautiful wood designs, Dana later trained and apprenticed under a master jeweler in the jewelry and goldsmithing business. Founder, sole proprietor, and master goldsmith of Golden Moments Jewelers of Royal Palm Beach, Dana built one of the most respected one-man jewelry businesses in South Florida. He was recognized as a leading retailer of one-carat-plus diamonds in the area. Founded in 1985, the business was in continuous operation for nearly 40 years. He adored classic cars, winning numerous awards in the local car show circuit with his signature Tangerine Chevy and beloved Electric Blue Chevy Malibu SS. He loved Marvel Comics, The Beatles (the late John Lennon especially), Walt Disney World, his mother’s cooking and a great steak, irreverent humor (think South Park), motion pictures, his many fur and feather babies, homemade chocolate chip cookies and especially his extended Seegert family. He enjoyed adventure and travel and was especially fond of the Hawai’ian Islands especially the West coast of Maui. He suffered from genetic maladies triggered by lifestyle choices and hazardous workplace exposures, but survived life-threatening car crashes, lung and skin cancer, and end-stage COPD for many years beyond any physician’s prognosis. A true-born Capricorn, he demonstrated steadfast commitment, a reflective demeanor, valued effort and tradition, and was deeply caring with a strong sense of responsibility, nor was he immune from weaknesses such as pessimism and stubbornness. His long and winding road has led over the hilltop of this life, but he survives forever in the memories of all who knew and loved him…his dry wit, his broad smile, his generous spirit. Dana is survived by the love of his life, Darrylyn; his beloved brother and sister by marriage Dale Rogers Smith and Allison Mertz Smith of Santa Fe, New Mexico; his parents-in-law, Darryl and Patricia (Kujawa) Seegert of Royal Palm Beach; dearest sister by marriage, Jodean Marie (Seegert) Hibl and husband Terry A. Hibl of Stuart; fond brother by marriage, Darrin A. Seegert, of Milwaukee; devoted nieces Nicole Teri (Hibl) Blankenberg and husband David D. Blankenberg, and Kelly Jo Hibl, all of Stuart; great niece and nephew, Aurora and Adam J. Frasier; many cousins, dear friends, faithful customers, extended family and precious fur babies, Maui and Kona. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dwight Winton and Joyce Carol (Froelich) Smith; his paternal grandparents, Dwight Willis and Cora May (Rogers) Smith; and his maternal grandparents, Edgar Louis and Elizabeth Margaret (Benton) Froelich; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and extended family. The family will receive friends and family on Saturday, September 6, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at Palms West Funeral and Crematory, 110 Business Park Way, Royal Palm Beach. A service of remembrance and celebration of his life will immediately follow the visitation conducted by the Dr. Reverend Jo Ann Pessagno at 3:00 p.m. Arrangements are by Palms West Funeral and Crematory, 110 Business Park Way, Royal Palm Beach. Memorials may be sent to either American Heart Association, P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-8721 (https://www.heart.org) or American Lung Association, National Direct Response Headquarters, P.O. Box 756, Osceola, WI 54020-0756 (https://www.lung.org). Private interment beside his parents at Union Cemetery, Laconia, New Hampshire.

Dana D. Smith

December 26, 1951 - August 15, 2025