NAHB Mourns the Passing of Past President David C. Smith

David Clark Smith, NAHB President for 1986, passed away Sunday at the age of 90.

Smith was born in rural Virginia and grew up on a farm in Maryland. After a stint in the Army National Guard, Smith built his first home for his wife and himself in 1953.

In 1959, he opened his own home building company, David C. Smith, Inc., a company that still does business as David C. Smith & Sons in Virginia.

During his career, Smith built some 1,500 homes, mostly in Maryland. He was very active in the NAHB Federation at the local level, serving as President of the Frederick County HBA, the HBA of Suburban Maryland, the Maryland HBA and the Metropolitan Washington Builders Council. He also founded the Upper Montgomery County Builders Association, which was unaffiliated with NAHB.

Once he engaged with NAHB at the national level, Smith was very active, serving as Maryland state rep and being elected President in 1986. He was inducted into the Housing Hall of Fame in 1992.

Smith was also politically active, meeting several U.S. Presidents during his career and winning an appointment from George Bush to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board of Atlanta.

A funeral service will be held 11 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, at Obaugh Funeral Home in McDowell, Va.

Watch a brief clip below of Smith describing his career in his own words.