Dirk Devi Smith's Obituary
It is with heavy but full hearts that the family of Dirk Devi Smith, known to many as Daddy Dirk, announce his passing. On Saturday, March 11th, 2023 Dirk transitioned peacefully, surrounded by family in his home in Oakland, California. He left this world with a smile and a Moscow Mule and will be missed deeply.
Dirk was born in Seattle, Washington on July 11th, 1957 to Parbattee Balkissoon and Dr. Richard Smith. The first born of an international public health pioneer father and a proud West Indian mother, Dirk was a child of the world. In his youth he lived in Seattle, Nigeria, New York, Tuba City, Washington DC, and Hawaii. He received his Bachelor's degree from Howard University, where both of his parents had also earned their undergraduate degrees. Similar to his father, he continued on to receive his doctorate of medicine and it was at Howard Medical School that he met his wife Harriet Covington. They married in their last year of medical school and returned to Harriet’s native Detroit to complete their residency training at Henry Ford Hospital, Dirk in combined Internal Medicine/Pediatrics and Harriet in Radiology. Their first son Devin Dirk was born during their training at Henry Ford. A member of the The National Health Service Corps, Dirk then moved his family to Yuma, Arizona were he served for three years on a Cocopah & Quechan reservation. Thereafter, Dirk joined his brothers in the Bay Area and moved into their Oakland home in 1991, just one month prior to the birth of his second son Brandon Covington. Dirk joined The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) in 1991 and dedicated a large part of his life to the care of his patients, the uplifting of his colleagues, and the advancement of the organization. A clear leader, he was elected to serve as Chief of Medicine and later as Assistant Physician in Chief of the Kaiser Hayward Medical Center. Not only did Dirk serve his community locally, but he also traveled internationally to serve other communities in need. Partnered with Sionfonds and the Kailash Medical Foundation, Dirk went on multiple medical missions to Haiti, India, Nepal, Zambia, and Panama. In 2018, after 27 years with TPMG, Dirk retired from Kaiser Pleasanton to step into his new role of grandfather.
Dirk was an avid runner who put multiple half-marathons, marathons, and triathlons under his belt. He enjoyed a good Tom Clancy novel and could recite the plot of every episode of Star Trek. However, all of these pastimes were surpassed by his love of food and the company it attracted. Dirk was proud to be a Doctor, a Black man, a Howard graduate, and a product of Detroit, Hawaii, and the Bay Area. But above all, Dirk was fiercely dedicated to his family and was the patriarch of a very close-knit tribe spanning Honolulu, Pacifica, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego, Miami, and Detroit. He was an ever-present husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle who showed up for his family in ways that words could never adequately describe. He is survived by his wife Harriet Covington, his sons Devin Dirk and Brandon Covington, his daughters-in-law Pamela Escobar and Kathryn Porush, his three granddaughters, Amaya Covington, Naya Escobar, and Imaan Mahadevi, and a host of brothers, nieces, nephews, other
relatives, and friends.
Dirk was known as selfless, caring, empathetic, wise, reliable, hard-working, fun, and full of joy. He was instantly loved by everyone he met and had an ability to make everyone he touched feel they were the most special and important person in the world. Dirk was the quintessential father figure and care-taker. He was unlike any other and the world is a better place because of him. His family asks that all those who knew Daddy Dirk rejoice in his memory and celebrate his life and the lives that he touched. In classic Daddy Dirk fashion, he left the world with the following message: “I have lived my life trying to do the right thing. I’m very happy with my life and I want everyone to be happy with my life too. I also want everyone to be happy with their lives. Please take care of each other and toast me by saying “do the right thing!” - The One and Only Daddy Dirk
https://kailashmedicalfoundation.org/donate/
https://sionfonds.org/donate-to-haiti/
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