Dr. Michael J. Smirne

Michael J. Smirne, DDS, 84, So. Abington Twp., died Monday evening at Gino Merli Veterans' Center in Scranton, PA.  His wife is the former Constance Marie Zike.  The couple had been married for 59 years.

Born in Scranton, he was the son of the late Angelo and Josephine Scaramuzzo Smirne.

He was a graduate of Central High School and attended The University of Scranton.  He earned his doctorate from Temple University Dental College and was appointed Chief Resident of Oral Surgery at King's County Hospital in Brooklyn.  He proudly served his country in the Navy as a lieutenant in Norfolk, VA.  He attended the Medical College of University of VA for post-graduate courses in oral surgery.  He wrote several articles on oral surgery and published a book on dentistry in 1978.  He was a member of many societies including the American Dental Association, American Society of Oral Surgeons, Pennsylvania Society of Oral Surgeons and the American Board of Oral Surgery.  He was certified by the American Board of Oral Surgery in 1967 and served on the staff at several local hospitals.  He was a member of Our Lady of the Snows Parish and a member of the Knights of Columbus in Virginia where he attained the 4 ^th Degree.

Dr. Smirne was a highly respected oral surgeon as well as an accomplished musician who played piano, bass, flute and guitar.  He played jazz bass professionally during college and also played in the Philharmonic after dental school. He loved fishing, hunting and golf and spent many hours playing and competing with friends at the Country Club of Scranton.

Above all things, he loved his family very much.  Also surviving are his three sons, Mark Smirne and his wife Victoria, Avoca, Matthew Smirne and his wife Tracie, North Carolina, Michael Smirne, South Abington Township; a daughter, Christine Pacyna and her husband Michael, South Abington Township; a sister, Angela Gearhart and her husband Fran, Levittown; twelve grandchildren, Melia, Angela, Natalie, Nicholas, Brandon, Caitlyn, Michael, Monica, Michelle, Maria, Matthew and Marc; a great grandson, Michael; several nieces and nephews.

A special thank you is extended to Dr. Frank Milani, the staff at the Gino Merli Veterans' Center and the Traditional-Hospice of Dunmore for their kind loving care of Dr. Smirne over the last few years.

Mass of Christian Burial was held at Our Lady of the Snows Church, Clarks Summit, with services by Msgr. Joseph Quinn.  Interment took place in Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton.

Arrangements were entrusted to the care of the Lawrence E. Young Funeral Home & Cremations Services, 418 S. State Street, Clarks Summit, PA.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Memphis, TN 38101.