Robert B. Smiley

Robert “Bruce” Smiley, 92, passed away unexpectedly February 13, 2022 at the Meadows at Shannondell in Audubon, PA.

It’s hard to sum up a life that spanned ten decades. Born in Camden, New Jersey, Bruce moved with his family to the Mayfair neighborhood of Philadelphia in the mid-1930s, where he graduated from Frankford High School, and met his future wife Betty Goll at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where they married in 1950. 

Bruce served honorably in the United States Army during the Korean War from 1952 to 1954, specializing in telecommunications; he was proud to say that while he was there, he “never heard a shot fired in anger.” He returned to his job with Ma Bell (the Bell Telephone Company) as a lineman, and stayed with Bell his entire career, rising through the ranks to management and eventually retiring from Verizon in 1989. Bruce and Betty moved to Southampton in Bucks County in the late 1950s where they raised their two children, Barbara and Bob, before moving to East Norriton in 1975, Hershey’s Mill in West Goshen in the early 1980s, and eventually to Shannondell in 2005. 

Bruce was a jovial charmer with a smile and a joke for everyone. He was an enormous fan of trains; he and three other residents founded the Shannondell Model Railroad Club in 2005, developing and building the extensive model railroad layout that can be seen today. He took many trips with his wife and friends to experience famous train routes in North America, and traveled with Betty to Europe several times as members of a teddy bear collecting society.  He enjoyed watching sports, especially the Phillies and Eagles, and kept up with the comings and goings in the broader sports world closely. He was also active in musical theater, singing and performing comedy routines with the Hershey’s Mill Players during his time there. 

Betty and Bruce enjoyed traversing the local area throughout their retirement, and used to insist that their New Year’s Day trip to Kinzers for pork and sauerkraut was the only way to start the year off right. Every summer, they’d stay with their daughter Barbara’s family in Ocean City, NJ, but they weren’t really beach people; instead, they would visit Cold Spring Village via the Cape May Seashore Lines railroad, or the Cape May Zoo, or just walk the boardwalk. Bruce was always happy to come to family gatherings throughout the year, and attended dozens of his grandchildren’s concerts, events, and graduation ceremonies. He spent much of his time in his last years reading, working on Sudoku puzzles, and watching all the TV crime and medical procedural dramas on CBS.

While this won’t be counted as a death from COVID, the pandemic certainly hasn’t made things easier for any of us. While we had a lovely 90th birthday dinner for Betty & Bruce in 2019 (their birthdays are less than a month apart), we were unable to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary in 2020; instead, we had a hot dog picnic lunch outdoors at one of his other favorite spots, the Cabin Shop and Bookstore in Valley Forge Park. Bruce moved to the assisted living facility at Shannondell before we could celebrate their 71st anniversary, and it wasn’t until Christmas when we could arrange to bring him out for a holiday dinner. He was getting ready to move into a new larger space to be reunited with Betty at the end of this month. 

As his daughter, I can say that I already miss his hearty “Yel-lo!” answer on the phone when I would call.  I miss being called “Sweet Pea,” even though I’ve shared that nickname with my daughter since she was born. I miss his loving support, easy smile, and quick wit.  

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Florence (Schuler) & Elmer Smiley.  He is survived by his wife Betty, his daughter Barbara Popek (John), son Robert (Debbie), and grandchildren Matthew and Sarah Popek. He will be buried at Washington Crossing National Cemetery; a private interment service will be held at the convenience of the family. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to their favorite charity in Bruce’s name, or sending a donation to The Shannondell Model Railroad Club, 10000 Shannondell Dr., Audubon, PA, 19403.

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