Dr. Randy Smith, 1970 graduate and Augusta community leader, dies

Dr. Randolph Relihan Smith, an Augusta plastic surgeon and 1970 graduate of MCG, died on July 6, 2019.

Born April 13, 1944 at University Hospital in Augusta, Dr. Smith attended public schools in Augusta, including Richmond Academy, where he is a member of the ARC Hall of Fame. He earned a football scholarship to Clemson University, where he played for Hall of Fame Coach Frank Howard, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medicine.
He was drafted by the New York Jets of the AFL and the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL before the leagues merged, but instead of professional football, Dr. Smith chose a life of service, graduating in 1970 from the Medical College of Georgia, where he was a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Dr. Smith completed an internship in internal medicine at Wake Forest University, and residencies in otolaryngology at Duke University and plastic surgery at the Medical College of Georgia. He also completed a hand surgery fellowship at the University of Louisville (KY). He was certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology. Dr. Smith also served as a Major in the active reserves of the U.S. Army Medical Corps.
Dr. Smith practiced plastic surgery and hand surgery at University Hospital for over 40 years and served in various leadership roles, including as President of the medical staff, co-chief fund raiser for the Heart and Vascular Institute, and Chairman of the Board of University Health, Inc., the hospital’s governing board.

Read Dr. Smith’s obituary.