Passing of my grandmother

On November 23, 2001 my grandmother Florence Dodds Smith passed away.

She was an incredible woman that influenced my life in ways that I am still realizing. She was always caring and loving towards me. Always interested in how life was treating me and that I was happy.

I will miss her.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an article about my grandmother. And here is the obituary that my father wrote: Florence Dodds Smith Of McCandless Township, died Friday, November 23, 2001, at the age of 83. Mrs. Smith, a retired entrepreneur, was the widow of David O. Smith who died in January 2001. She was the Founder and President of Kellner Equipment Company, a petroleum equipment business in the North Hills. Mrs. Smith was a leader in her industry. In 1978 she served as President of the Petroleum Equipment Institute, an international trade association with over 900 member companies in 58 countries. In this position, Florence Smith was the first woman to serve as the head of a national trade association. Although her entire professional life was spent in industries dominated by men, she often said that being a woman was an advantage. As President of the PEI, Mrs. Smith met George Bush, then United Nations delegate, and became active in local Republican politics. Mrs. Smith is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. David D. Dodds of Oakmont. Dr. Dodds, a Presbyterian Minister, taught his daughter the principles of door-to-door salesmanship during the Depression. She graduated from Oakmont High School in 1935 and attended Grove City College. In 1936 she was voted Miss Personality of Pittsburgh. During World War II, she worked for the National Bomb Committee under the direction of Augustus Anheiser Busch. In this position she traveled widely and coordinated all strategic materials used in the manufacture of semi armor-piercing and general purpose bombs. In 1944 she married Hans W. Kellner, of Scarsdale, New York, whom she divorced in 1947. Following the war she was Secretary, first to the Treasurer of Blaw Knox Steel, then to the President of Scaife Corporation. In 1948 she began selling petroleum marketing equipment for the firm of Stover and Rust. After the sudden death of Mr. Stover in 1951, she founded her own company, Kellner Equipment Company, which she ran for almost 40 years. In 1952, she married David O. Smith, a Pittsburgh businessman who joined Kellner Equipment Company soon after their marriage. The two were avid golfers, members of Wildwood Golf Club, Wanango Country Club, and the Pittsburgh Athletic Association. A member of Bakerstown Presbyterian Church, Mrs. Smith also supported Grove City College and La Roche College. After Mr. Smith’s death, Mrs. Smith resided at Alterra Clare Bridge Memory Care Home in Cheswick. She suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. Florence Smith is survived by a brother, Dr. David W. Dodds, of McHenry, Illinois; a son, Hans Dodds Kellner, of Arlington, Texas; & 3 grandchildren, Hans David Kellner, of San Francisco, California, Annaliese Kellner, of Durham North Carolina, & Margaret Kellner, of Evanston, Illinois.

Linda
December 4, 2001

Florence Smith was my children’s grandmother and my mother-in-law for many years. She took me into her home and heart and loved and respected me when I was a very young mother. She was a role model of the “modern career woman” well before it became commonplace. Although she tended to “overindulge” all of us, we were richer in spirit for it. She and David had a remarkable marriage and career together. They made an impact on many lives.

Bob
June 16, 2002

so sorry to hear about your grandma…

Anne Ilson
April 4, 2004

Just read the obituary of Hans’ mother and “younger” Hans’ grandmother. Very interesting to me to learn about her life. I only met her once in Butler I think it was. She sounds like a woman before her time–a business woman in a business man’s world.

Lucy Hutchison Vosmek
July 8, 2013

Hans,

My husband and I were recently having dinner with friends. The conversation, as conversations so frequently do, turned to Western Pennsylvania and Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. I mentioned David Dowthett Dodds, D.D. The next day our friend sent me a link to this lovely obituary of Florence Dodds Smith. Florence was the first cousin of my mother, Mildred Eckles Hutchison. Anna Dodds and my grandmother, Florence Eckles, were sisters. As a little girl, I remember meeting Florence on my grandmother’s front porch in Dormont, PA, and playing with her son, Hansie.

I enjoyed your website, and I hope you find it interesting to learn about random relatives.

My husband and I live in Portland, OR.

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