Saturday, May 25, 2019

Who is Robert Frederick Smith from Denver, Colorado billionaire, philanthropist? Family tree, ancestry, heritage, DNA by Mary Cummins

Robert Frederick Smith, billionaire, Denver, Colorado, ancestry, heritage, family tree, DNA, sylvia young, william robert smith, bernice jewell henricy, frederick combe young, Allan Smith, Hope Dworaczyk, Hendrix Smith, Legend Smith, Suzanne McFayden, Sliana Smith, Maximos Smith, Zoe Smith, mother, father, siblings, wife, wives, children, kids, cornell university, morehouse college, vista equity partners, goldman sachs, fund, 
Robert Frederick Smith was born December 1, 1962 in Denver Colorado. His parents are Dr. William "Billy" Robert Smith b. 1932 (deceased) and Dr Sylvia Myrna Young Smith b. 1935. He has a brother Allan M. Smith b. 1961. His parents married in 1960.

Robert Frederick Smith attended Carson elementary school in Denver, Colorado then East High School in Denver, Colorado graduating in 1981. Below are pics from 1979 and 1981 respectively.


His family lived at 3401 E. 26th St, Denver, Colorado across the street from the golf course. Below is the home.



He graduated from Cornell in 1985 and was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. He graduated from Columbia Business School in 1994. From 1994 to 2000 he worked with Goldman Sachs in technology investment banking first in New York then in Silicon Valley. In 2000 he founded Vista Equity Partners a private equity and venture capital firm. As of 2019 he had over $46 billion in capital commitments. What Robert Smith is most famous for is announcing that he will pay off all the student debt of the 2019 Morehouse College graduating class of 396 students.

Dr. William "Bill" Robert Smith was born in Denver, Colorado along with his twin Betty on May 24, 1932. William was one of eight children born to William Edward Smith and Elizabeth  North Smith. His siblings were Betty Joe (Annias) Reeves, Bonny (Bruno) Carr, Bayonne (Edward) Holmes, Bethanath "Beth" (James) Vaden, Wayne Edward Smith, Brenda (Harold) Strawder and Bonita (William) Vaden. William was a 1st Lt in the US Army in Korea in 1954. William received a BA in 1954, an MA in 1959 and a PhD in 1972 in teaching all from Denver University. He received a music scholarship for the band. William was a teacher at Harry M Barrett Elementary School in 1966. In 1967 he was assistant principal of the school. By 1970 he was the principal. William married Dr. Sylvia Myrna Young in 1960 who was also a teacher and a school principal. Together they had two children, Allan M Smith and Robert Frederick Smith. At the time of his death he was predeceased by his parents and brother Wayne Smith. He was survived by the rest of his siblings, grandchildren and many other relatives. William died on July 5, 1988 and was interred July 11, 1988 with a military funeral at Fort Logan National Cemetery. By Mary Cummins.

Robert's mother Dr Sylvia Myrna Young Smith was the Principal of George Washington High School. She graduated from Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School in Washington, D.C. class of 1952. This was her thesis at the University of Northern Colorado. Knight Fundamental Academy, 1982-1985 : a case study in basic education, Smith, Sylvia Myrna Young Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Northern Colorado, Dept. of Educational Administration, summer quarter, 1987.

Smith stated his family has four generations in Denver, Colorado. That is clearly only his paternal side.  He said his family has been in the US for eight generations. Clearly he has done his tree. Eight generations makes sense going back to end of slavery. His paternal grandfather William Edward Smith completed two years of college. He's listed as a chauffeur in 1940. His paternal grandmother is Elizabeth North who completed four years of college at the University of Denver. In 1940 she's listed as a maid.

 I have found info on his maternal grandparents. Sylvia Myrna Young Smith's father was Frederick Combe Young 1915 Washington, D.C. - 2010 College Park, Maryland. Below is his obituary.

"YOUNG FREDERICK C. YOUNG Departed this life on Tuesday, September 14, 2010. Survivors include three daughters, Dr. Sylvia M. Smith, Linda Wilson and Eileen Young-Ross; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; one sister Lucy Young; and a host of other relatives and friends. Wake will be held Saturday, September 18, 10:30 a.m. Mass will follow at 12 noon at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church. 2021 Rhode Island Ave. NE. Interment Arlington National Cemetery at a later date." He registered for the draft in 1940. He was a 2 Lt US Army. In 1940 he was a porter at a Department Store in Washington, D.C. He attended the 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Sylvia Young's mother was Bernice Jewell Henricy 1918 South Carolina - 1982 Washington, D.C. She is buried with her husband in Arlington National Cemetery.

Sylvia's siblings are/were Frederick Lauren Young 1936 - 1945, Linda Young b. 1950 married to Jacob Parker Bethea and later David Wilson, and Eileen Veronica Young married to Michael Ross.

Below is Robert Frederick Smith's family tree which I have completed so far. It's clearly lacking a lot. Having such a common name makes it difficult. UPDATE: I actually figured out his father the day I wrote the article. I was thrown because he said his family is four generations in Denver. Grandpa was born in Kansas so I thought I had the wrong guy. Gradpa did live in Denver.

Robert Frederick Smith, billionaire, Denver, Colorado, ancestry, heritage, family tree, DNA, sylvia young, william robert smith, bernice jewell henricy, frederick combe young, Allan Smith, Hope Dworaczyk, Hendrix Smith, Legend Smith, Suzanne McFayden, Sliana Smith, Maximos Smith, Zoe Smith


Below is obituary of Robert Smith's Aunt Brenda Carrie Ann Smith Strawder who died in 2002.

"SMITH-STRAWDER, BRENDA Brenda Carrie Ann Smith-Strawder. Born to the late William Edward and Elizabeth North Smith on February 27, 1942 in Denver, Colorado, passed away September 26, 2002. Brenda is survived by her loving husband Harold Strawder; sons Anthony (Rose) Morrison, Richard (Kym) Ramsey; daughter Angela (Kevin) Batiste; grandchildren Angel Flowers, Tamara, Anthony Jr., and Christian Morrison, Morgan, Madison, and Mackenzie Ramsey; sisters Betty Reeves, Bonnye Carr, Bayonne Holmes, Beth Vaden, Bonita Vaden, and the late Dr. William R. Smith and Wayne E. Smith; a host of nephews, nieces and friends. Private ceremony held for the family, October 1, 2002. Family at 19885 East 59th Drive, Aurora Colorado 80019."

An article about Robert Smith's Aunt Bayonne Smith Holmes.

Bayonne Holmes was DU’s first black cheerleader

https://magazine.du.edu/alumni/bayonne-holmes-was-dus-first-black-cheerleader/

“By working with students, I think we can make a difference,” says Bayonne Holmes. Photo courtesy of Bayonne Holmes

When Bayonne (Smith) Holmes began her college search in the mid 1950s, she hoped to leave Denver to attend a historically black college. Her mother had encouraged Holmes and her seven siblings to get an education, but Holmes couldn’t afford to leave Denver.

So, Holmes attended DU like her mother, Elizabeth (North) Smith (attd. 1937 and 1955–58) and brother William Smith (BA ’54, MA ’59, PhD ’72). By the time Holmes completed her education, another brother, Wayne Smith (BME ’64), also had graduated from DU.

After graduation, Holmes—BA sociology ’58, MA education ’68—taught elementary students in Denver public schools. She went on to develop and implement a high-school level black studies curriculum in Berkeley, Calif. Holmes also mentored students, giving those who otherwise wouldn’t go to college a “head start” toward college preparation.

Having several family members attend DU partly explains why the University is still so important to Holmes. For the past eight years, she chaired the African-American Alumni Association.

Holmes remembers when she was the only black student in all of her classes.

“There wasn’t any diversity,” she recalls. “You could count maybe 10 [black] undergraduates in a period of four years.”

Holmes says white students weren’t openly hostile, but generally ignored her. She didn’t let it bother her. Instead, Holmes says she became DU’s first black cheerleader, which helped her make friends.

Still, Holmes wants better for today’s students and is willing to volunteer her time and energy to that end.
“By working with students, I think we can make a difference,” Holmes says, noting that black faculty and alumni get to know incoming students and help them throughout their time at DU."

I used to spend the summers in Denver starting around 1973. I didn't see very many black people at all. At that time Denver was a ski resort and a place to listen to John Denver songs. It would have been tough to be black back then. This was after the Civil Rights Act but it still took time to be a little more fair. Took a lot of guts for her to be a cheerleader in an almost all white school.

Bayonne Smith Holmes, Denver, cheerleader, Colorado

Robert Frederick Smith has been married twice and has five children. His first wife is Suzanne McFayden b. 1965 in Kingston, Jamaica. She is an exotic beauty whom he met while they were both at Cornell University. Her father was Vincent Bancroft McFayden 1922 Kingston, Jamaica - 2005. Below is his obituary.

"MCFAYDEN, VINCENT BANCROFT, 83, of Hernando, died Saturday (April 29, 2005) under the care of family and hospice. He came here five years ago from his native Kingston, Jamaica, West Indies. He was retired after 15 years of service as liaison officer for Appliance Traders, Ltd., and a member of Hernando United Methodist Church and Jamaica Constabulary Force. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Dolores; two sons, Anthony, Jamaica, and Robert, Orlando; four daughters, Suzanne McFayden-Smith, Mill Valley, Calif., Joan Blair, Hernando, Beverley Francis Herndon, Va., and Dian Sacramento, Calif.; a brother, Keith, Ocala; three sisters, Joyce Magnus, Jamaica, Phylis McFayden, Ocala, and Yvonne Ashley, Ocala; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren."

Suzanne McFayden's mother is Dolores Victorine Webster. She married Vincent McFayden in 1944 in Kingston, Jamaica. Together they had the above children. Suzanne had the following children with Robert Smith, Zoe Suzanne Smith b. 1997, Maximos Robert Smith and Eliana Frederick Smith. Zoe is an entertainer. The other two children are in college. They were married from 1988 to 2010. Below is Suzanne's tree.



Robert Smith's second wife is Hope Christina Dworazcyk b. 1984 in Port Lavaca, Texas. Robert is three years older than Hope's father. Her parents are Frederick Shawn Dwoaczyk and Tina Marie Tristan. Robert Smith and Hope Dworazcyk have two children, Hendrix Robert Smith and Legend Robert Smith. Below is their public wedding photo. To Robert's left are his two daughters. To his right is his son from his first wife.

Robert Frederick Smith, billionaire, Denver, Colorado, ancestry, heritage, family tree, DNA, sylvia young, william robert smith, bernice jewell henricy, frederick combe young, Allan Smith, Hope Dworaczyk, Hendrix Smith, Legend Smith, Suzanne McFayden, Sliana Smith, Maximos Smith, Zoe Smith, mother, father, siblings, wife, wives, children, kids, cornell university, morehouse college, vista equity partners, goldman sachs, fund,


I'll update Robert Smith's paternal side when I get more information. I have only used public information in this article.

Below are more public family photos.

Robert Frederick Smith, billionaire, Denver, Colorado, ancestry, heritage, family tree, DNA, sylvia young, william robert smith, bernice jewell henricy, frederick combe young, Allan Smith, Hope Dworaczyk, Hendrix Smith, Legend Smith, Suzanne McFayden, Sliana Smith, Maximos Smith, Zoe Smith, mother, father, siblings, wife, wives, children, kids, cornell university, morehouse college, vista equity partners, goldman sachs, fund,


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, real estate, appraiser, appraisal, instructor, teacher, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Pasadena, Brentwood, Bel Air, California, licensed, permitted, single family, condo, pud, hud, fannie mae, freddie mac, uspap, certified, residential, certified resident, apartment building, multi-family, commercial, industrial, expert witness, civil, criminal, orea, dre, insurance, bonded, experienced, bilingual, spanish, english, form, 1004, 2055, land, raw, acreage, vacant, insurance, cost, income approach, market analysis, comparative, theory, appraisal theory, cost approach, sales, matched pairs, plot, plat, map, diagram, photo, photographs, photography, rear, front, street, subject, comparable, sold, listed, active, pending, expired, cancelled, listing, mls, multiple listing service, claw, themls,

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