MARSHALL SMITH

Marshall L. Smith, longtime local resident and owner of the Key West Island Bookstore on Fleming Street, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, as he was returning to our island from Chicago. He was 57 years old.

Marshall was a dedicated oenophile, a raconteur, a gourmand, an avid fisherman, a loyal and true fan of Ohio State football, a lifelong bibliophile and, above all, a gentleman. A graduate of the University of Tampa, he began his career with Little Professor Bookstores in Florida and progressed to a series of traveling sales positions with, among others, Marboro Publishing, Crown Publishing and Penguin. He eventually tired of the itinerant life and partnered in several Florida Keys bookstores until becoming sole proprietor of Key West Island Bookstore. In 1991, he co-founded the Chicago CIROBE. It remains the premier trade show in its field.

Being a confirmed bachelor and also being heartily interested in good food and good drink, particularly the wines of the Rhone Valley, Marshall could regularly be found sitting at the bar of his favorite Key West restaurants, Antonia's, 915 and Pepe's, happily exploring any number of conversational alleyways. Although a true gentleman, he didn't suffer fools gladly and was not above correcting the opinions of people he considered to be bigots or wrong-headed. Candor was to most his biggest asset, and to a few his biggest liability. But he was much loved by family, friends and colleagues, including "The Hoodlum Friends," an informal Saturday afternoon group at Pepe's of which he was a charter member.

He is survived by his stepmother, Joan Smith of Mansfield, Ohio; two sisters and two brothers; and four nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, in Sandusky, Ohio.

We beg to borrow an image from Patrick O'Brian, one of his favorite authors: Marshall, may you sail the Rhone forever, driven by a crisp and endless topgallant breeze abaft the beam. Goodbye, dear friend.