Roland Vincent Smith Jr.

Roland Smith ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Wiggin-Purdy-McCooey-Dion Funeral Home - Dover on Mar. 7, 2026.Roland Vincent Smith, Jr. went to be with the Lord on March 2, 2026, surrounded by family with his wife Linda at his side, in Portsmouth, NH. He was born on December 9, 1937, in Bangor, Maine, the son of Albertine (McKeen) and Roland Smith, Sr. After his mother passed away following his birth he was raised by his grandparents Kenneth and Mabel McKeen, in Brewer and Newburgh Maine. He attended a one room schoolhouse in Newburgh through the eighth grade. When he was sixteen his grandparents passed away and he left on his own to Connecticut where he took an apprenticeship in sign lettering and the art of gilding. As a young man he spent time on Cape Cod and worked as a deckhand on the ferry to Martha's Vineyard which provided lifelong memories. He enjoyed bold colors and large graphics which led him to spend many years traveling throughout New England painting carousel horses and amusement ride scenery. His artistic abilities were unlimited and included everything from delicate gold leaf work to painting a 40-foot trailer with only an airbrush and compressor. His home was in Northwood,NH where along with his wife they operated a sign business for over 40 years. Near to his heart was the time he spent in prison ministry as a chalk artist at the NH Men's Prison chapel and giving watercolor lessons at the Epsom Manor nursing home. He loved the natural world in both the forest and mountains of New Hampshire, and along the Maine coast, spending many vacations near Bar Harbor. He was happy to go for long rides to enjoy the scenery with no particular destination in mind. In his later years, he became a proficient watercolor artist. He never lost his ability to do hand lettering or pinstriping into his eighties.He was pre-deceased by his granddaughter Danielle Smith. He is survived by his beloved wife of 47 years Linda Lee (Seifert) Smith, his children Angela Sewell and husband Robert, Roland Smith III, Michael Smith and wife Susan, Lewis Smith, stepson Jeremiah Schlieder and wife Robin, stepson Kori Schlieder and wife Diona, Nathaniel Smith and Kamika Alomari, a sister Corinne Mushero, 18 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren, 4 nieces and many cousins.A memorial service will be held at the Advent Christian Church, 113 School Street in Northwood, with Pastor Donald Plummer officiating, on Saturday, March 21 at 1 pm.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of your choice.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.