Steven Joseph Smith

Steven Smith, a kind and gentle man, a devoted husband and father, went to be with our Lord on Friday, December 20, 2019, at the age of 69 due to cancer.

He was born in Los Angeles, CA to Jack and Ruth Smith. He got his MPA in Healthcare Administration from USC. Steve had a 25-year career as a healthcare executive culminating in the President and CEO position at St. Joseph Healthcare, a four-hospital system in Albuquerque.

He owned and managed a 78-unit apartment in Albuquerque. He was the Executive Director for the Apartment Association of New Mexico (AANM) from April 2005 to March 2009. He also served on the AANM Board of Directors from January 2010 to December 2013.

Steve has served on many boards including the UNM Anderson Schools of Business, the CNM Foundation, the Catholic Foundation, the Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers, the Albuquerque Institute for Math and Science (AIMS), and the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority.

Steve loved to sing. He sang at the Christmas and Easter services at St. John XXIII Catholic Community for 27 years. He also sang with the Quodlibet Ensemble for nine years. He sang his last concert on Saturday, November 23, 2019.

He was a Knight of the Grand Cross of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem since 1997.

He is survived by his wife, Dolly; his sons, Ryan and fiancée, Brandy and Todd and wife, Alexandria; his grandchildren; and his brother, Gary and wife, Lynne Smith.

On the personal side of Steve, he married his college sweetheart Dolly Zambrano in 1973, whom he met in a chemistry class in 1969.

Steve was a voracious reader. He could read 2-3 books a week on any subject, which made him an excellent Trivia player.

He loved playing golf with his golfing buddies at Tanoan. Two of his dreams were to play a round at Pebble Beach, CA, which he did. The other was to go to St. Andrews, Scotland to see the British Open and walk the course, which he did in 2015.

He loved to travel and see the world. He has been to North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, French Polynesia and even Greenland. Steve’s favorite place in all the world was Hawaii. He made his last trip there in May of 2019.

He loved his two sons, Ryan and Todd, with his whole heart and soul. He was so proud that they turned out to be such good men and they each found a good woman to love. Todd married Alexandria Torres on October 19, 2019; and Ryan has his fiancée, Brandy Kinslow.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, January 17, 2020, 6:00 p.m., at St. John XXIII Catholic Community, 4831 Tramway Ridge Dr. NE, with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in Steve’s name may be made to Special Olympics of N.M., 6600 Palomas Ave., NE, Suite 207, Albuquerque 87109 or call (505) 856-0342.