Frederick Smith, 79, space-age supervisor

Frederick L. Smith, 79, of Exton, a former project manager for NASA construction sites, died Aug. 8 at Neighborhood Hospice in West Chester after a stroke.

In the 1960s, Mr. Smith was project manager for Paul Hardeman Inc. for a nuclear test site in Nevada, an Atlas missile silo facility in Kansas, and a building to house Titan 3 missiles in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

In 1968 after joining UE&C-Catalytic Inc., a subsidiary of Raytheon Co., he was project manager for an assembly building, a launch control center, and launchpads for the Apollo space program at Cape Canaveral. Later he worked for Catalytic in the Bahamas and Baltimore before moving to its headquarters in Philadelphia in 1977. He retired in 1994 as manager of the company's human resources and tool-maintenance division.

Mr. Smith learned in the late 1960s that he had multiple sclerosis, and he eventually used two canes to walk, said his daughter, Sherry Matincheck. Even as the disease worsened, she said, he refused to use a wheelchair because he thought he would lose mobility. He never complained, she said, and continued to be active. He enjoyed travel and winter vacations in Florida and autumn vacations in the Poconos.

A native of Wilmington, Calif., Mr. Smith joined the merchant marine at 17 and was a radio operator on cargo ships. He later served in the Naval Reserve.

He studied architecture and engineering for two years at Compton College in Compton, Calif., and then worked for 14 years for Richfield Oil Corp. in California.

In addition to his daughter, Mr. Smith is survived by his wife of 59 years, Maurine Sievert Smith; another daughter, Audrey McGibbony; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. A son, Wayne, died in 1997.

A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at St. Paul's Church of Christ, 101 Worthington Rd., Exton.

Memorial donations may be made to the Neighborhood Hospice Inpatient Unit, 400 E. Marshall St., West Chester, Pa. 19380.