Ivan Smith, 83, of Lenexa, KS, passed away on April 11, 2017.

Ivan was born April 10, 1934 in Horton, Kansas to Junius and Viola (Schuetz) Smith. He married Laura Louise (Lolly) Keele in 1955. Lolly passed away 2000. He married Barbara A. (Yeamans) (White) in 2002. He is a member of Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa, KS.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, at the Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia Lenexa, KS . Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 19, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, 13615 W. 92nd St. Lenexa, KS. Interment will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Leo's Cemetery in Horton, Kansas. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to, Holy Trinity Catholic Church or to St. Leo Catholic Church.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Lolly and his brother, Larry Smith, of Atchison, KS.

He is survived by his wife Barbara of the home, sons Stephen D. Smith and wife Elaine of St. Joseph, MO., Michael D. Smith and wife Jane of Overland Park, KS and Bradley L. Smith and wife Robin of Leavenworth, KS, seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, stepdaughters Marsha Johnson and Lisa Coke and husband Jon Stone, four step-grandchildren, five step great-grandchildren, an uncle, John Smith of Horton, KS, a brother and sister-in-law, Daryl and Nadine Smith of Whiting, KS, a sister-in-law Marjorie Smith of Atchison, KS, a sister-in-law, Bette Marcurella of Holden, MO and numerous nephews and nieces.

He attended Horton High School and graduated from Atchison County Community High School in 1952. Following High School, he attended Emporia State University where he earned a BS in Education in 1956 and Kansas State University where he earned a Ph.D in Chemistry in 1960.

Following graduation he joined Phillips Petroleum in Bartlesville, OK as a Research Scientist. He joined Midwest Research Institute (MRI) in 1961 where he rose from the position of Associate Chemist to Senior Advisor for Science and Technology. He conducted and managed research in such diverse fields as: rocket propellants, fuel cells and batteries, industrial coating technology, agriculture science, environment and waste management and human health.

He was the author of eight books as well as numerous articles and technical publications. He served as Chairman of a National Academy of Science Committee, "Environmental Geochemistry and Health." The Committee consisted of a team of international scientists looking at relationships between the environment and human health. He served as editor of an International Journal "Science of the Total Environment" published in Amsterdam. He also served as President of the International Society of Environmental Geochemistry and Health and as Chairman of the Kansas City Section of the American Chemical Society.

He accepted an assignment with the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) (now the National Renewal Energy Laboratory) in 1979 to head a large international solar energy program (SOLERAS), jointly funded by the United States and Saudi Arabia. He later assumed management responsibility for all SERI International programs which afforded numerous opportunities to travel to Europe and the Middle East. In 1982 he returned to MRI Operations in Kansas City to organize, structure and manage MRI Ventures, a for-profit subsidiary of MRI established to commercialize MRI developed intellectual properties. In 1985 he left MRI to serve as President and CEO of a new commercial venture, ENZYTEC. He left ENZYTEC in 1988 to establish Kansas City Tech Associates which conducted research for industry and government. He merged KC Tech Associates into a new company, Tech Industry Consultants in 1990 which also served as a contract subsidiary of the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation which was established to assist start-up technology companies in Kansas.

In 1995 he was a founding Board member, helped structure, was then selected to manage the new Johnson County Business Incubator, now known as the Johnson County Enterprise Center. He served as CEO of that organization until his retirement in 1999.

He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Social Fraternity, and was elected to the following honorary societies: Phi Kappa Phi (Scholastic), Sigma Xi, (Science), Phi Lambda Upsilon (Chemistry), Lambda Delta Lambda (Physical Science), Phi Mu Alpha (Music), Kappa Mu Epsilon (Mathematics) and the Research Society of America. Other honors included: The MRI Council of Principal Science "Professional Award", Emporia State Universities recognition as a "Distinguished Alumni" and recognition in Whose-Who of American Men and Women in Science.

He coached little-league football, basketball and track while continuing to play softball until age 55 and basketball until age 65 when he took up walking and working out at a gym. His vocation was science but his avocations were family, music and sports while never losing his agricultural roots. He sang in Catholic Church Choirs his entire life beginning at age of about ten, and with various choral groups through- out his life, and added karaoke to his music interests in his later years.