The Rt. Rev. Dabney Tyler Smith, the retired Episcopal Bishop of The Diocese of Southwest Florida, died on October 26, 2024 from complications associated with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He was 70 years old.
Bishop Smith served as Episcopal priest from 1987 to 2006 and Episcopal Bishop from 2006 until his last official church visitation at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Haines City, on Sunday, October 20, 2024.
Dabney Smith was born December 7, 1953, to The Rev. Dorsey G. Smith, Jr. and Dorothy Leach Smith in Brownwood, Texas. He graduated from Seabreeze High School, Ormond Beach in 1972. He is remembered by his classmates as Mr. Seabreeze 1971. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and entered Nashota House Seminary in 1984. He was ordained to the Priesthood by The Rt. Rev. William H. Folwell in 1987 and began his ministry at Grace Church Port Orange, FL where he served under The Rev. Chris Gray. In 1989, Bishop Smith and his family accepted a call to St. Michael’s and All Angels in South Bend, Indiana. At St. Michael’s, Bishop Smith’s gifts as an evangelical leader emerged and he led the parish in land acquisition and the building of a new parish campus to accommodate the growth of the congregation. In 1998, Bishop Smith accepted a call to Holy Trinity, Melbourne, FL. At Holy Trinity he oversaw the growth of the campus through the acquisition of adjacent properties, enhancing the church’s functionality and visibility. He also worked closely with Holy Trinity’s day school, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy. In 1999, while at Holy Trinity, he completed his Doctor of Ministry from Seabury Western Theological Seminary with a focus on congregational development. In 2004, Bishop Smith accepted a call to Trinity Church in New Orleans Garden District. At Trinity he gained experience as the Rector of a Corporate Church and oversaw aid and reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Bishop Smith was elected Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida in December of 2006. He served briefly as Bishop Coadjutor and was consecrated Bishop on March 10, 2007. Bishop Smith lovingly served Southwest Florida until his retirement in December of 2022. He is remembered for his passion for the health of congregations, pastoral care of clergy, development of leaders, the establishment of diocesan wide endowment programs, support of Episcopal schools, and the establishment of DaySpring Episcopal Center’s master plan. Supported by devoted lay leaders and an outstanding diocesan staff, achievements include the relocation and building of the Diocesan House on DaySpring property in 2012, returning the publication, The Southern Cross, to print in 2015, and the establishment of the Diocesan Endowment Management Program. In 2015, he was honored to be one of the four bishops to be nominated to become the 27th Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church USA. During the months leading up to the election, Bishop Smith said, “We are given the blessing and the gift of living for others with God’s love. I am excited for the ministry of the Episcopal Church in the living ministry of reconciliation. I believe it is God’s desire and our purpose.”
During his tenure in Southwest Florida, Bishop Smith served on numerous boards within the Episcopal Church including: Bishop Gray Retirement Foundation; Dominican Development Group; University of the South - “Sewanee”, Board of Regents, Nashotah House Theological Seminary Board; the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church; and Board of Trustees, Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa.
Following retirement in 2022, Bishop Smith accepted an invitation from The Rt. Rev. Mark Stevenson to serve as Visiting Bishop in the Diocese of Virginia. Serving in Virginia provided him with the meaningful opportunity to visit churches where his father, The Rev. Dorsey Smith, had grown up and served. After relocating to Orlando, Bishop Smith was appointed in January 2024 by the Rt. Rev. Justin S. Holcomb to
Assisting Bishop in the Diocese of Central Florida. In this role, he cherished the opportunity to return to his sending diocese and visit churches he once served.
Throughout his life, he had a passion for spending time with his family, reading historical biographies, and composing and playing music with his friends. Upon retirement he enjoyed recording the songs he had written over the years in his home studio.
Bishop Smith was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 36 years, Mary Ellen Krieg Smith, and his brother, David L. Smith.
He is survived by wife Mary Wallis Smith; two daughters, Rev. Ashton (Joseph) Williston and Alicia (Jeffrey) Caputo; son, Dabney (Janet) Smith II; step-daughter, Megan (Mark) Riherd; step-son, Ben Wallis; eleven grandchildren ranging in age from 20 to 2; brother, Dorsey Smith; two sisters, Deborah Ryniker and Donna Hille; sisters-in-law, Alison Smith and Kathleen Smith; brothers-in-law, Doug Ryniker and Richard Hille; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
A Requiem Eucharist will be held at the Cathedral Church of St. Luke in downtown Orlando on November 11 at 1 p.m., with the Most Rev. Michael B. Curry presiding and the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey D. Lee preaching.
Memorial contributions in Bishop Smith’s name can be made to The Episcopal Charities Fund of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, DaySpring Endowment Fund or The Mary Ellen Smith Memorial Endowment Fund, 8005 25th Street East, Parrish, FL, 34219 OR http://episcopalswfl.org/donate/
