printable versionKeith Smith, Medical School ombudsman, dead at age 59
BY MICHELLE L. BRANDT
Keith Smith
Keith I. Smith, ombudsman for the School of Medicine, died yesterday morning in Washington, D.C., of a heart attack. He was 59 years old.
Smith was a familiar fixture at Stanford, arriving here in 1977 to work as an employee relations specialist. He worked in affirmative action, human resources, development and the provost's office before landing back in employee relations, where he stayed for 18 years. He assumed the role of Medical School ombudsman early last year.
"He was with Stanford for so long that he contributed in so many ways," said Cori Bossenberry, director of human resources for the Medical School. "He was a very compassionate, very intelligent person. He was always available and willing to listen and help resolve any problems that came to him."
As ombudsman, Smith served as a resource for employees and students going through work-related or personal difficulties. He answered questions and provided information, assisted with informally resolving disputes and, as he described it, simply "provide[d] an ear." Last year, he commented on the things needed to be successful in the position: "You have to be yourself. You have to be approachable. You have to be easy to talk with."
People who knew him well said his personal traits and professional experiences made him the perfect fit for his job. "He came with a record of tremendous accomplishment and loyalty to the institution, and a reputation of being able to deal with complex, human problems in sensitive, thoughtful and supportive ways," David Stevenson, MD, vice dean and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Medical School, said when Smith arrived in his role.
"Over Keith's 30-plus years at Stanford, each one of us has gotten to know and value him in a variety of special ways," said Susan Hoerger, the school's deputy director of human resources, "recognizing his intelligence, his compassion, his sense of humor, his passion for traveling and the arts."
Hoerger also noted Smith's "intuitive and graceful way of handling difficult problems, his kind heart and his constant willingness to help others."
Smith, who was born in the nation's capital, earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Michigan and attended graduate school at the University of Central Missouri. He joined the Air Force after college so he could, he said, "see the world." Travel was, in fact, one of his biggest passions; at the time of his death, he had visited more than 60 countries.
Among Smith's other loves were baseball, classical music, community service, musical theater and cooking. He was a member of the Stanford Savoyards, a campus group that has performed Gilbert & Sullivan operas and other shows, for more than 30 years.
Last year, Smith said one of his proudest moments at Stanford came during his days in employee relations, when negotiating an agreement with union workers. It was a particularly difficult negotiation, he said, but at the end, the people across the table stood up and gave him a hug. This doesn't come as a surprise to Bossenberry, who said Smith formed open and respectful relationships with everyone he dealt with. "He had integrity and honesty, and people knew they could take him for his word," she said.
Smith was a resident of East Palo Alto and is survived by his mother, Althea Smith, of Washington, D.C., a sister, niece, nephew and godson. Plans are pending for memorial services in Washington, D.C., and on campus.