Remembering ‘Bud’ Smith

An era in our lives and that of the region came to a close early last Sunday morning with the passing of Martin V. “Bud” Smith. The visionary developer helped to see a harbor at Channel Islands, commerce where once a pig farm and swamp were home, and tall buildings to grace the fertile Oxnard plain.

He had the courage to dream big, to imagine great things, and the drive to make them happen. Where most saw Oxnard as a scrappy little agricultural community, Bud saw opportunity and untapped assets.

He had a wonderful way of seeing potential in human beings, too, and inspired many people and institutions to success.

He brought a variety of business segments to new heights, including the hospitality and banking industries. And he and his wife, Martha, did much for philanthropic causes--the Ventura County Community Foundation, St. John’s Regional Hospital, the Boys & Girls Clubs, Cal State Channel Islands--too many to list.

He was the man who helped grow Oxnard, who scoffed at the city’s adolescent self-consciousness and propelled it to a maturing success.

We were fortunate he blessed our lives for over 34 years. He will be dearly missed, but his mark of imagination is everywhere for generations to come.

Robert and Madeline Murphy

Channel Islands Harbor