James Smith: Remembered

James Smith began playing lacrosse for the Loch Raven Recreation Council when he was 7 years old.

By: Keith Mills

The knock on the door came around 7:45 on the night of Sunday, June 22. It would change the lives of Gary, Marcia and Christian Smith forever.

"It was a Baltimore County police officer, and he said my son had been hit by a car," Gary Smith said. "I just began to shake. I couldn't believe it."

By the time Gary Smith reached the corner of Loch Raven and Taylor Avenue, a mere two-minute walk from his house, 16-year-old James Smith had already been flown to Shock Trauma, where he died the next day of massive head wounds.

James Smith, an outstanding lacrosse player at Loch Raven High School, had spent most of that Sunday with the Baltimore Hawks club team, playing in the Summer Getaway Under-17 club tournament in Alexandria, Va.

"We had gotten back from Virginia and James, Christian and a couple of their friends went over to community swimming pool," Gary Smith said. "James said they were going to the movies and he was going to the ATM machine to get some money. He was crossing the street at Loch Raven and Taylor when he got hit.

"A million things go through your mind when something like this happens. Had we made the playoff round in Virginia, we wouldn't have even been home yet. What if he didn't have to get money? What if, what if? But this time of year it is very tough. It has left a gaping, open wound. I remember it like it was yesterday."

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James Smith began playing lacrosse for the Loch Raven Recreation Council when he was 7. His first coach was Eb Tuttle, a neighbor of the Smith family.

"Eb lived two doors down from us, and he was a wonderful coach," Gary Smith said. "James and I were driving home from one of his club team practices and I asked him who was the one coach who taught him the most, who he really looked up to. He said it was Eb Tuttle."

James Smith fell in love with the game and played for Tuttle at Loch Raven Rec through his eighth grade year at St. Anthony's Middle School. Two years ago, Loch Raven won the B Division of the prestigious Lax Splash tournament in Timonium -- on the same day James graduated from St. Anthony's.

"It was funny," said Gary Smith. "We had his uniform in the car and right after graduation, we're driving like crazy down I-83 to get to a game. He shows up in his suit and tie and everyone's wondering what's going on. That's how much he loved to play."

At Loch Raven High, James Smith made the junior varsity team as a freshman and the varsity squad as a sophomore, starting as long stick midfielder for defensive coordinator John Hanley and head coach Rob Persing.

"Growing up, he was pretty small," Gary Smith said. "But by the time he got to his 10th grade year he had grown to 6-foot-1 and he picked up about 15-20 pounds. And he just loved to play."

James Smith also made the Baltimore Hawks club team, coached by Paul Cantabene, one of the greatest face-off specialists ever to play and now the coach at Stevenson University; Matt Florio, a former standout at Towson University; and Brian Myers, another former Towson standout. Myers, who played last summer for the Washington Bayhawks, honored James Smith by wearing his uniform No. 7 on the back of his helmet.

"He was really excited about making that team," Gary Smith said. "To be able to play for Paul, Matt and Brian was a big deal."

James Smith was also a veteran of the Towson University lacrosse camp, run by veteran coach Tony Seaman.

"James loved that camp," Gary Smith said. "He had been going there since he was 7 years old. He thought it was a big deal that a big-time Division I coach like Tony Seaman would know who he was and would call him by his first name. To James, that would be like Joe Paterno talking to him. I'm from western Pennsylvania and when I got here I didn't know much about lacrosse. But when James started playing, we all got really involved and a big reason why James loved the game is because of the Towson camps.

"After the accident, Tony sent us the nicest e-mail. Talking about what a great kid James was and how he was going to miss him."

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The funeral for James Theodore Smith was held at Loch Raven Methodist Church. Pastor Gayle Annis-Forder supervised a service that was attended by hundreds of family members, friends and teammates. In fact, the pallbearers were several members of the Loch Raven High lacrosse team: Ben Bittner, John Fitzgerald, Brandon Osbourne, Andrew Dunphy, Brent Stevenson and Sam Cosby. Tuttle spoke at the service, as did Loch Raven's Hanley.

"It was very emotional," Gary Smith said. "James appealed to so many kids. He got along with everybody. He was a good, loving kid who was really starting to come out of his shell and it was really neat to see that.

"The viewing was held at Ruck's (Funeral Home) in Towson and the turnout and show of support from everyone -- his teammates, coaches and friends -- was pretty overwhelming."

So was a gift Marcia and Gary Smith received from Gary's co-workers last month.

Gary is assistant controller for WBAL Radio and shares an office with Claire Mackey, Lynn Drury, Robin Heaps, Lacy Tait, Debbie Edwards, Sue Nunez and Flora Kanyoko. They purchased a remembrance stone through the Terrace Paver Brick Program at United States Lacrosse, which displays the brick at the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Museum.

"Gary's colleagues had one made into a memorial for James," said Phil Recchio, annual fund manager for U.S. Lacrosse. "It was engraved and set before Nov. 11, which would have been James' 17th birthday. We are so glad that Gary and his wife appreciated that gift."

"It was incredible," Gary Smith said. "Claire made the arrangements and presented my wife and I with a picture of the stone with James' name on it and a little inscription. They gave it to me the day of his birthday. Marcia and I went over to the museum, and it was really special. To think the museum is right next to Johns Hopkins and Homewood Field where all of those great players played is pretty overwhelming."

With the holiday season here, Gary has a message for parents whose children will be opening gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.

"Don't sweat anything," said Gary Smith. "Don't get mad at little things, like doing work around the house or things like that. Going through what we did, you gain a lot of perspective. Let them know how much you love them. And love them unconditionally. Hug them, hold them. Have a great relationship with them. Do things with them. Have fun with them."

Gary and Marcia Smith have set up a scholarship fund in James' memory. More than $4,000 has already been raised. Contributions can be sent to: The Loch Raven High Water Project, Loch Raven High School, 1212 Cowpens Ave., Baltimore, MD 21286.

Posted December 17, 2008