As champions go, Carl Smith was a veritable standout within the IMA! His colleagues at the IMA Hartford Chapter and the IMA NorthEast Regional Council are particularly grateful as we directly benefitted in so many memorable and impactful ways from his participation and leadership.
He was involved for many years with the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) during turbulent and steady times and most assuredly during robust years of growing membership and growing CMA counts within the U.S. and Globally. We fondly remember his serving IMA Hartford Chapter as our President from 1983-1984. He followed this achievement by becoming a National Director in 1986 and then a National VP from 1989-90. He was Chair of the Board of Regents from 1996-1998 and ultimately Chair of IMA Global from 2005-2006, a crowning achievement.
Carl had a huge impact on the IMA, including helping to get Kim Wallin voted into the Global Chair position via a floor vote at a 2002 San Diego global conference (chapter member Carol MM happened to be there for that one). She along with others felt that changed the trajectory of the IMA in a very positive way. Carl became Global Chair two years after Kim.
Many chapter IMA members also remember Carl serving as an exam proctor when they sat for the CMA exam which took place at the University of Hartford where he was a professor. He diligently promoted the CMA amongst his students, knowing that the skillsets they required to be successful within businesses and other organizations squarely lay with the management accounting curriculum. It’s impossible to know how many students took that plunge to earn that CMA title, just as Carl himself had done, and what heights they too reached and are still reaching within their own career paths.
He was a mentor to Lynn T and other members encouraging us to go for Global service with IMA. We expect the seeds he sowed to continue to inspire many more of his IMA colleagues and the students who he educated throughout his many years of teaching. Do we think he’ll take over auditing the ‘heavenly’ books? Wouldn’t surprise us at all!
OBITUARY:
Birth: September 3, 1951
Death: May 22, 2026
Carl Stuart Smith
OBITUARY
Carl Stuart Smith, 74, of Simsbury, passed away peacefully on May 22, 2026 at UConn
Hospital, surrounded by his wife of 37 years, Marjorie, and his daughter, Lauren (Washington, DC), after many years of bravely fighting complex medical issues.
Carl was born on September 3, 1951 in New Haven, to Emanuel and Evelyn Smith (both pre-deceased). He leaves behind his brother, Michael Smith, his sister-in-law, Andrea (both of North Haven), and his nieces Emily (Newington) and Carrie (New Orleans, LA), along with many loving cousins.
He was raised in Hamden, and attended Hamden High, followed by the University of Connecticut for his B.S. in Accounting, followed by an MBA and a Ph.D., also in Accounting. He was extremely accomplished in his field, holding numerous additional certificates and designations, including a CPA, CMA, and CFM. He worked at Cohen, Rosenfield & Lieberman CPAs early in his career, opened his own practice in 1981, and was an Associate Professor of Accounting at the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford for 40 years, before retiring in 2021. He was involved for many years with the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), serving as Chair of the organization from 2005-2006, the Chair of the Board of Regents from 1996-1998, a National Director in 1986, and a National VP from 1989-90.
Carl had a deep love for the New York Yankees, despite marrying a Boston-born Red Sox fan (true love!), and watched almost every game; he attended many games with Lauren by his side. He loved to travel, and passed that love down to Lauren as well; they traveled to Spain, Switzerland, and Germany together, along with many locations in the U.S. with Marji, too. Their best memories were on the beach in Dennisport, MA. Earlier in his life, he had a passion for photography and even built a darkroom in his house; later, he was always at Lauren’s soccer games with his camera. He had a witty, sarcastic sense of humor and found his match with Marji. He was steady and committed to his family and friends, and always quick with a joke.
The family sends their deepest gratitude to the ICU, step-down unit, and hospice staff at UConn Hospital, who were wonderful and treated Carl with dignity to the end. They also send a thank you to Carl’s dedicated team of doctors, who cared for Carl for years and extended his life, allowing his family and friends to enjoy more time with him.
A funeral will be held on Thursday, May 28, at 11 AM at the Farmington Valley Jewish Congregation (FVJC), 55 Bushy Hill Road, Simsbury. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to New England Donor Services, an organization close to their hearts.