Abbott "Pete" Smith, D.V.M.
June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010
June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010
Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017). A graduate of Colorado State University and a well-known veterinarian in southeast, Ohio, Dr. Smith continues to motivate and inspire.
After high school, Pete enrolled in Colorado A&M, Fort Collins, Colorado; becoming Colorado State University in 1957. There he met Jody, the love of his life. From Milliron: Abbott "Pete" Smith, D.V.M. The Biography - Chapter 3: Pete and Jody...
In the fall of 1956, Jody met Pete on the first day of class. Jody shines as she recalls the moment. “It was an Honors English Class. I remember what a good-looking guy he was. I noticed him right away. It was not love at first sight, it was attraction at first sight.”
They became good friends, sharing horse stories and studying together. Pete was dating Jody’s Tri-Delta roommate, Janet “Simmy” Simmons, a South High School classmate of Pete’s. Jody was working at the college bookstore, earning extra cash to help pay for boarding her horse, Starboy. Pete would stop in the bookstore and ask Jody to give messages to Simmy, but he also liked to talk to Jody about horses. “One time he showed me a black and white 8 x 10 picture of him riding a beautiful horse. I said, ‘Oh, that’s the most gorgeous Morgan I’ve ever seen.’ He archly explained that the stallion was Witezar, a son of one of the most famous Polish Arabians, Witez II, who had been rescued along with other Arabians and Lipizzans by General Patton near the end of World War II. Pete loved that horse. He spent a lot of time backing Witezar up in irrigation ditches to develop gaskin muscles.”
As their friendship grew, Pete stopped dating Simmy and asked Jody out for a date. “Pete usually invited Simmy to the quarterly dance held by the veterinary school,” Jody says. “This time he invited me to go with him. I said I couldn’t until I checked with Simmy. He seemed to find that amusing but said to let him know what we decided. When I got off work and back to the sorority house, Simmy and I discussed the turn of events. Simmy said, ‘He asked you. Go with him if you want.’ He did and I did. To jump ahead a bit, Simmy was my maid of honor at our wedding. I chased Pete two years before I caught him. I had a lovely time at the vet dances as they somehow managed to get excellent country western artists, some of whom became well-known stars.
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