Bruce Melvin Smackey

Dr. Bruce Melvin Smackey, 80, of Garden City, Idaho passed away in his home on May 21, 2021. Bruce was born in the Bronx, NY in 1940 to Phillip and Minnie Smackey. While he was still young, the family moved to Bridgeport, CT where he grew up. He went to Central High School and graduated in 1958. Bruce went on to earn a BS in Mechanical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), an MS in Operations Research at Case Institute of Technology, and a PhD in Management from RPI.

After concluding his academic studies, Bruce worked for Technicon Instruments Corporation and Sun Oil before commencing 31 years as professor at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. He concluded his career there as Professor Emeritus of Marketing and Manufacturing Systems Engineering.

In addition to teaching at Lehigh, he worked as a management consultant for a range of companies. A notable engagement at the end of his career was as a consultant for Mack Trucks, Inc.

Bruce was a committed member of Congregation Brith Sholom where he served as board president. He was instrumental in starting its endowment fund and orchestrating the synagogue’s move from Bethlehem’s South Side to the North Side. He enjoyed his decades-long poker group and golfing with his buddies.

Bruce is survived by his wife of almost 55 years, Ardeth Smackey of Garden City, Idaho, his two daughters, Jennifer Smackey of Boise, Idaho, and Rebecca Hurd (Scott) of McCall, Idaho, his two grandchildren Zachary and Naomi Clayton, and his sister Thelma Leaffer of Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Eleanore Mongillo.

The family wishes to extend their immense gratitude to their St. Luke’s Boise Hospice team for their kind and compassionate care. Memorial donations can be made to Idaho2Fly, the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, or a charity of your choice.