Dennis A. Smith, of Weymouth, formerly of Milton, died peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Monday, September 7, 2026 at the South Shore Hospital in Weymouth. He was 87.

Dennis was born in Boston on June 23, 1939 and was the son of the late Arthur and Beatrice (Walsh) Smith. He was raised in Dorchester and grew up in St. Gregory’s Parish. He graduated from Milton High School in the Class of 1957 where he served as Class President.

Subsequently, he served in an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps before continuing his education at Stonehill College earning his undergraduate degree in philosophy and religion. After graduation he volunteered in Jamaica as a lay missionary. He returned and received a master’s degree from Boston College School of Social Work and later earned a master’s degree in health administration from UMass Amherst.

The first half of Dennis' extraordinary career began in Massachusetts government in 1964 when he served as Chief of Staff to Senate President Maurice Donahue. He subsequently served as a refugee relief advisor with the United States State Department in South Vietnam from 1967-68. He was awarded the Republic of South Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal for the daring rescue of a downed South Vietnamese pilot.

Upon returning home, he ran for the 10th Congressional District seat from Massachusetts. His loss in the election did nothing to dim his commitment to public service. He led the Massachusetts Health and Welfare Commission from 1969-74. Dennis later entered the political arena as Field Director for the United States Senate campaign of astronaut John Glenn in Ohio before returning to Massachusetts as Executive Director of the Southeastern Massachusetts Health Planning Agency. From 1975-78 he oversaw health planning throughout Southeastern Massachusetts. His work brought him into contact with local mayors, public interest groups, hospitals, and government officials. He played an important role in securing federal grant funding for the region and representing the federal government during hospital mergers in Fall River and New Bedford.

Dennis held many leadership positions in the executive and legislative branches of Massachusetts government. In 1978 he joined the administration as Assistant Secretary of Health Planning and later became Undersecretary of Human Services in 1981. In 1982 he moved to Governor Michael Dukakis’s office as Assistant Secretary for External Affairs where he oversaw the Governor’s relationships with the business community and the Massachusetts Legislature. He became Chief of Staff to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Representative Richard Voke in 1984. There he supervised the development of five annual budgets for the Commonwealth. In 1988 he returned to the Governor’s Office as Chief of Staff to Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy.

After decades of public service Dennis founded Dennis A. Smith Associates and began what would become a long and successful career as a health care consultant and lobbyist. In 2000 he founded Smith & Rauschenbach which became a prominent health care consulting and lobbying firm in Massachusetts. In 2021 the firm expanded to become Smith, Rauschenbach & Halloran. Dennis represented several health care organizations including Partners HealthCare, Shields Healthcare Group, several community hospitals and health centers. He had a particular talent for understanding how government worked and how policy decisions could affect real people.

But Dennis’s legacy cannot be measured by titles. He was a doer. Dennis was the person who knew who to call, how to navigate the system, and was willing to make the call. He helped innumerable people find jobs, gain admission to schools, and find opportunities that might otherwise have been out of reach. He was insightful, compassionate, generous, and remarkably perceptive. Dennis possessed a high emotional intelligence and had a genuine ability to understand people. He listened and thought deeply. When he believed something was unjust or needed to be made better he worked to fix the problem.

He loved a good conversation especially when the subject was politics, philosophy, history, or current events. Dennis was a big thinker and an avid reader. He read the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, NY Times, and the Washington Post. He always preferred the print version of the local newspaper and never missed a Peter Lucas column.

Dennis came from a family of patriots. He believed in America and what America represents. He held a profound appreciation for the country he had served. His patriotism was reflected in the causes he cared about including Vietnam veterans and Tunnel to Towers.

In 1985, Dennis married Susan (Oliverio) in Boston’s North End where they lived for many years before moving to Milton. Their 40+ years of marriage was filled with companionship, conversation, and dedication to family and friends. Susan was his caring and loving partner through all of it. They had many memories of travel and summers on Cape Cod.

Dennis was a strong athlete. He loved golf, and in his earlier days played semi-pro football in Quincy, Mass. He ran the Boston Marathon several times as well as many 10Ks.

There were also the little things that made Dennis unmistakably Dennis: he was a picky eater but enjoyed the homemade meals prepared by his wife and her sisters. He especially loved broiled chicken and the family stuffing recipe. He also loved going out to eat at great restaurants. Alma Nove and Bay Pointe Restaurant were his local favorites. There he will be remembered for his “usual” cocktail of “Grey Goose vodka with a splash of tonic, in a rock glass with a twist of lime”. He loved Town Spa pizza which his children always brought home. His favorite choice was a simple cheese pizza (extra cheese and crispy).

He ate coffee ice cream every day, sometimes twice a day. Final culinary fact: He put salt, lots of salt, on anything and everything, whether it needed it or not. He loved a beautifully cut suit and a pricey shirt and tie. He enjoyed going to the movies and could watch just about anything. His favorites were John Wayne and World War II movies, but he also enjoyed a classic musical and even a horror film on occasion. Dennis listened to all kinds of music. His favorite song perhaps captured something deeper about the way he looked at life: Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”

Dennis will be remembered as a man who was larger than life without ever losing sight of the individual person in front of him. He was intelligent without being detached, accomplished without forgetting his roots, patriotic without losing his curiosity about the world, and successful while always willing to help someone else find their own success.

He leaves behind a lifetime of service, countless friendships, a family who loved him dearly, and the many people whose lives were changed simply because Dennis took the time to help.

Beloved husband of Susan Oliverio of Weymouth. Devoted father of Marianne “Mam” Smith of New York, William “Billy” Smith and his wife Kathryn of Rome, Italy, Tara Stark and her husband John of Wisconsin, Molly Oliverio and her fiancé Andrew Fleming of New York and Evelyn “Evy” Oliverio of New York. Loving grandfather of Drew Freimanis and his fiancée Kara Dubria of New York, Lucia and Dennis Smith both of Rome, Italy, Raina Keller of Texas, Mia Keller of Washington DC, and Layla Stark of Wisconsin. Dear brother of the late Arthur Smith and the late Robert Smith. He will be deeply missed by his many nieces and nephews who loved their “Uncle Dennis”.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to greet the family during the visiting hours on Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 2-5 PM in the McDonald Keohane Funeral Home NORTH WEYMOUTH at 40 Sea Street (off Route 3A - Bicknell Square).

A Celebration of Life Service will be held in the funeral home at 1 PM on Monday, September 14, 2026, prior to the Funeral Mass in St. Jerome Church, Weymouth at 2 PM.

Interment in Milton Cemetery is private.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent in Dennis' name to Tunnel to Towers Foundation by clicking here.