Martyn R. Smith

Marty received his B.A. in mathematics from Montclair State University and his M.Phil. and Ph.D. in biostatistics from Yale University. In 1979 he joined Michigan Tech’s Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, where he later served as department head. At MTU Marty pursued research and taught courses in statistics and biostatistics. Marty brought a sense of playful discovery to the classroom, getting to know his students as individuals and challenging them and himself to explore concepts in fun, unconventional ways. As a department head, Marty was respected for his commitment to transparency, fairness, and equity. He worked, as one colleague put it, “for the good and the better.”

In 1989 Marty accepted an appointment as Professor in the Mathematics and Statistics Department at Winona State University, where he was Director of the Center for Applied Statistics and Process Improvement and pioneered many distance learning courses. Marty later held a faculty appointment at the Mayo Clinic School of Health-Related Sciences, where he taught epidemiology and other subjects to nursing students.

In 2005 Marty returned to Michigan Tech where he was appointed Dean of the Graduate School, Director of Distance Learning and Summer School, and Professor of Biostatistics in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Marty especially enjoyed working with biomedical engineering and mathematics undergraduate and graduate students, serving on many senior design, Master’s, and Ph.D. committees.

Marty’s quick wit, unbridled enthusiasm for “mischief,” and kind heart gave him a talent for bringing people together. Marty loved music and was a lifelong sailor at home on the water. A hiker, cyclist, cross-country skier, and fisherman, he cared more about sharing moments with friends than catching fish. His passion for adventure took him to many areas of the world, including Australia, Greece and South Africa. In 2016, he spent five weeks walking the Camino de Santiago through France and Spain. Marty’s greatest joy was time spent with family, friends and dogs in the water and on the beach at family camps on Little Traverse Bay.

Marty was predeceased by his beloved father, William A. Smith. He will be lovingly remembered and deeply missed by his wife, Diane Shoos of Houghton; his daughters Loryn Smith (Michelle) of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Karyn Smith (Ethan) of Bend, Oregon; and Anna Shoos of Monroe, Michigan; his three grandchildren, Harper, Paxton and Chase Ebersold of Bend, Oregon; his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law; many nieces, nephews and cousins; and his dog Isla.

Especially during the last year of his illness, Marty and his family received compassionate care and support from the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Portage Hospice, Dr. Terry Kinzel and many devoted friends.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the North Country Trail Association, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly and the Copper Country Humane Society.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 26, at 1 p.m. in the Michigan Tech Rozsa Center lobby.

To view Marty’s obituary or send condolences to the family, please visit www.memorialchapel.net.