Louis A. Smith, 82, of Moorestown, retired longtime attorney and founding partner of the Smith Magram Michaud Colonna law firm, died Friday, June 30, of heart disease at Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin.
Personable and grounded in his South Jersey roots, Mr. Smith eschewed the hard-sell approach many injury law firms embrace to attract clients. Instead, he used empathy, practicality, and common sense to make connections. “He had a strong sense of self and trust in those he loved at work and home,” said his son, Larry. “He made you feel good about yourself.”
Nearly everyone said Mr. Smith’s marriage was remarkable because he and his wife were so different. She was a social worker and liked to linger at the Louvre Museum when they visited Paris. He was ready for something else after just a few hours. Mr. Smith worked weekends at his father’s pharmacy while attending Temple and passed that diligence onto his children and grandchildren. He liked to share pithy advice about life, such as “Don’t fill up on bread and salad at an all-you-can-eat buffet.” But he rarely preached to his children or gave unsolicited guidance.