Pete in his youth, riding in Maine.
Abbott "Pete" Smith, D.V.M.
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.
In the beginning of writing Pete's biography, I learned early on that Pete's father, Abbott P. Smith II, was born Abbott P. O'Brion II. An intriguing story of status and change was relayed to me by Pete's siblings, it is retold in the first chapter, Strong Bow...
Pete told the story of how, in 1929, his father Abbott arrived home from then Choate School, a private college-preparatory boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, for Thanksgiving holiday. As was customary, the butler announced Abbott to a roomful of guests. But the butler called him Master Smith rather than Master O’Brion. Abbott dismissed the butler’s announcement as senility. The following morning when he came down to breakfast, the same butler announced him as Master Abbott Smith.
Abbott asked his maternal grandfather (Pete’s great-grandfather), who was eating his oatmeal, “What’s this Smith bit?” His grandfather replied without looking up, “Your name has been changed.” Grandfather Smith had enough substance to do what he pleased; not only did he own the local bank, A&P, local warehouse, and whaling business, he also had influence with local judges. So, Abbott was no longer an O’Brion. His mother (Pete’s grandmother) Ruth Smith O’Brion, had divorced her estranged northern Irish Protestant husband, Rand O’Brion, and changed the family name to her maiden name of Smith. Mr. O’Brion was off selling tractors in the Soviet Union rather than raising his children, which was a disappointment to Grandfather Smith. This all happened one month after the great stock market crash of October 1929. Grandfather Smith had visited Choate for Father’s Day weekend the Saturday after the crash. Walking on campus with his son Abbott, Grandfather Smith closed his black book and said, “I lost $15 million this week, which leaves only $1 million.”
Read more in Pete's biography Milliron.
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Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.
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