Smith Funeral & Memorial Services

Smith Funeral & Memorial Services Offering Full Funeral & Cremation Services. William J. Smith & Son, Inc. The founder, William H. Mr. As he got older, he taught his nephew, William J.

is a funeral home providing services to families residing in Bristol County, RI & MA and surrounding areas. Now known as Smith Funeral & Memorial Services, its origins date back to the nineteenth century. Smith, the great-great uncle of the present owner, operated a general store right on the railroad tracks. Among other things, he sold furniture, which in those days included caskets when needed.

As time went on, and the Civil War began, the railroads were used to bring fallen soldiers home. Embalming became important at that time, allowing these soldiers time to come home and be viewed by family members. Smith became interested in this and learned to embalm from the chemical salesmen. Smith, a pharmacist, how to embalm. When the elder Smith passed away, his nephew took over the business and established an office at 17 Church Street, Warren. In these days, funerals were run from the family home. Time passes, and William J. Smith's son, Augustine W. Smith (Gus) enters the business. Families eventually prefer not to have the disruption of a wake in their living room (or, for that matter, the dearly departed in the living room). William, whose family lived next door to the office, decided to move his family into the cottage, which has been the funeral home office, and makes his home into the funeral parlor. People are now coming to wakes at the funeral parlor for set visiting hours, making things much easier on the family. In 1956, just prior to the death of William, he incorporated the business as William J. By then, Gus's son William A. (Bill) Smith had joined the business. Together, they expanded the business by embalming and providing hearses, limousines and pallbearers for other funeral homes. They purchased the Charles Connery Funeral Home in Bristol in 1960, and it became the Connery-Smith Funeral Home. Gus and Bill worked together until Bill's untimely death in 1981. At that time, Gus's daughter, Rosemary C. Alden, moved her family from Maryland to Rhode Island to be there for her parents. Gus and his wife Alice, who had been the bookkeeper since 1958, ran the business with the help of various employees. Alice died in 1985 and the ownership of the business was turned over to Rosemary. Though she worked full-time for a pharmaceutical / diagnostic company, she managed to keep things together, while Gus and the staff ran the day-to-day operations. In 1989, Rosemary's daughter, Catherine A.Tattrie, took over the bookkeeping and started the process of obtaining her funeral director/embalmer license. Under the watchful eye of her grandfather Gus, Cathie became an excellent embalmer and displays her compassion for the families served by the funeral home. Her attention to detail, both in surrounding herself with excellent staff and in the way she conducts funerals, is a tribute to her Smith family heritage.

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/james-a-falcon/
08/04/2026

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/james-a-falcon/

James A. Falcon, of Tampa, Florida, and Touisset, Rhode Island, passed away in Touisset, surrounded by his loving family, on August 4, 2026. Jim was born in August 1943 in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Angelina (Lorenzo) Falcon and James Falcon. He graduated from Rhode Island College, after serving in...

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/kenneth-f-wajda/
07/31/2026

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/kenneth-f-wajda/

Kenneth Faustyn Wajda, 57, a lifelong Barrington resident, died Wednesday, July 29, 2026 after a brief illness. Born in Providence, he was a son of the late Dennis J. and Anne (Teixeira) Wajda. For 29 years he was the beloved husband of Wendy (Kaiser) Wajda, whom he began dating when she was 17 year...

Smith Funeral & Memorial Services is here to guide families with compassion, professionalism, and care.Our services are ...
07/29/2026

Smith Funeral & Memorial Services is here to guide families with compassion, professionalism, and care.

Our services are designed to bring comfort during difficult times and help you create a meaningful tribute that honors your loved one’s life.

👉 Discover all that we do or reach out today to learn how we can support you and your family. Call us at (401) 245 - 4999

https://link.wjsmithfh.com/sp/6ff941cec95

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/joan-r-dorsi/
07/28/2026

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/joan-r-dorsi/

Joan R. Winsor, 88 passed away peacefully on July 24, 2026, surrounded by her devoted family. She was the beloved daughter of the late Oscar Storm and Ruth Wischnowski. Joan leaves behind a selfless devotion to her family and lived a life defined by warmth, patience, generosity and above all, uncond...

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/richard-c-mendoza/
07/27/2026

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/richard-c-mendoza/

Richard C. Mendoza, 78, of Warren passed away on Monday, July 20, 2026 in Providence, RI surrounded by family. He was the devoted husband of Jennifer DeAngelis for 33 years before his passing. Born in Fall River, MA, he was the son of the late Joseph and Mollie (Medici) Mendoza. He was a devoted fam...

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/jose-luis-lemos/
07/27/2026

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/jose-luis-lemos/

José Luis Lemos, 83, of Bristol passed away in Providence on Thursday, July 23, 2026. He was the husband of Maria (Ferreira) Lemos for 60 years before his passing. Born in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, he was the son of the late Jaime and Conceição (Lemos) Lemos. A devoted husband, father, grandfat...

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/joan-marie-francis/
07/27/2026

https://wjsmithfh.com/obituaries/joan-marie-francis/

Joan “Joanie” Marie Francis, 75 of Warren, died Thursday July 16th. She was a daughter of the late John Francis III and Laura (Avila) Francis. Joanie worked many years at Dan’s Wigwam in Warren before purchasing the restaurant with her daughter. She was a member of the German Club in Warren an...

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8 Schoolhouse Road
Warren, RI
02885

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+14012454999

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