Former Edgewater Police Chief Henry “Duke” Smith
From the family of Henry “Duke” Smith:
GOLDEN – Henry “Duke” Smith died peacefully on February 1, 2023 following a long illness. He was born March 30, 1937 in Lawrence, KS, the second of four children, to Henry Smith and Ruth (Watson) Smith. He was predeceased by his parents and three siblings.
He graduated from Lawrence High School in 1955 and attended the University of Kansas where he studied engineering and played varsity baseball. After playing a short time for the Oklahoma City Indians, his pursuit of a professional baseball career ended in injury.
Duke married the love of his life, Theresa (Byers) in 1959 and the couple settled in Lawrence, KS, where, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, he became a police officer with the Lawrence, KS Police Department. They welcomed a daughter, Sharon, in 1960 and a son, Duane, in 1962.
Duke held positions in both the Lawrence, KS and Kansas City, MO Police Departments between 1962 and 1966, but during a trip to Colorado in 1966 he and his wife fell in love with the state and decided to make Colorado their permanent home.
He was hired in 1966 as a patrolman for the City of Edgewater, launching a groundbreaking career of service and leadership that would span a quarter century. He was appointed Chief in 1979, making history as the first African-American police chief in the state of Colorado. He retired in 1991 and was the longest tenured law enforcement officer in Edgewater’s history.
In October ‘91 he was appointed by Governor Roy Romer and the Colorado Department of Transportation to spearhead “Operation Buckle Down” a nationally-funded seat belt campaign whose purpose was to educate and save lives. He served until 2006, working with law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
Duke lived life to the fullest, pursuing his hobbies and life interests with the same zeal and commitment he was known for in his professional life. He was an avid tennis player, award-winning photographer, pilot, and world traveler, whose favorite city was Paris, France. He loved gardening and adored spending time with his three grandchildren.
Known as a “renaissance man,” and “gentle giant,” who held himself to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and professionalism, he treated everyone with the utmost dignity and respect. He was enormously proud of his commitment to serve others and make the world a better place.
Duke is survived by his wife of 63 years, Theresa Smith, children Sharon Smith-Mauney (Leonard) and Duane Smith, and grandchildren Kyle Mauney, Mariah Smith and Bronson Smith.
Memorial service, Saturday, 2/18, 11am at Edgewater United Methodist Church (2497 Fenton Street).
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to The Denver Hospice, 8289 E. Lowry Blvd., Denver, CO 80230
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
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