RIP: Dabney Smith, former bishop of Southwest Florida, dies at 70
The Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith, fifth bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, died Oct. 26. He was 70.
[Episcopal News Service] The Rt. Rev. Dabney Smith, fifth bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, died suddenly on Oct. 26, after a brief hospitalization. He was 70.
In announcing the news, Bishop Douglas F. Scharf said, “His deep faith, practical wisdom and lighthearted sense of humor were a blessing to all who knew him, and his steady leadership guided our diocese through many challenges over the course of his 15 years as our bishop. I am personally deeply grateful to have known and worked closely with Bishop Smith as a mentor, colleague and friend.”
Smith was elected bishop coadjutor of Southwest Florida on Dec. 9, 2006, and he was ordained and consecrated on March 10, 2007. He served until his retirement in 2022.
A native of Florida, he was an acolyte and choirboy in the 1960s at St. John’s in Tampa, where his father served as rector. He graduated from the University of South Florida, Tampa, with a Bachelor of Arts in broadcasting production. He earned a Master of Divinity from Nashotah House in 1987 and a Doctor of Ministry from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, with special focus on congregational development, in 1999.
He was a nominee for presiding bishop in 2015 and served on The Episcopal Church’s Executive Council.
He also was chair of the Episcopal Church Building Fund, and he was a member of the board of the Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation, the Seminary of the Southwest, the Board of Regents of University of the South and member of the House of Bishops Planning Committee. He also served as vice president of Province IV, where he sat on the Presiding Bishop’s Council of Advice.
Scharf asked for prayers for Smith’s widow, Mary Wallis Smith and their family.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
