Reverend Father James Smyth, 93, peacefully passed away on July 2, 2016. He was born in Ireland in the county of Longford; the eldest son of Andrew and Florence Smyth in a family of eight boys and four girls. He completed high school and served an apprenticeship as a cooper and in time became a master cooper. He worked at that trade successfully for a number of years in England and Ireland. He became a very active member of the Legion of Mary and began to consider seriously a vocation in the priesthood. After a great deal of serious thought and prayer, he entered the seminary of the Society of African Missions and was ordained in December 1956, at the age of 34. From 1957 to 1971, Fr. Smyth worked as pastor of a mountainous and rural area in the Diocese of Jos in the northern corner of Nigeria. He used his skills as a tradesman and as a farmer to establish schools and training centers. He designed and led a team of villagers in his district in building a dam and pipeline to provide fresh water to the village. He was instrumental in bringing countless numbers in his district to the Catholic faith and to the Sacraments. In 1971, he was involved in a serious motorcycle accident and also developed a bad case of malaria and during recuperation, was assigned to a branch of the Society of African Missions in the U. S. In 1978 Fr. Smyth accepted a temporary assignment in St. Matthew Parish in Hastings-on-Hudson and in 1986 was incardinated as a priest in the Archdiocese of New York. He has brought the same energy, compassion, and devotion to the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson as he did to the Diocese of Jos and has visited every hospital, every sick bed, and every homebound parishioner in the Village. Since 2013, Father has been a resident of St. Cabrini Nursing Home in Dobbs Ferry. Father Smyth is survived by his siblings Thomas, Rose Sheridan, Sara Coyle, Martha Leahy, Philip, Frank, and Florence Cryan. He is also survived by his 33 nephews and nieces Andrew, Peter, James David, Gerarld, David Coyle, Sarah Coyle, Thomas Coyle, Thomas, James, Patrick, Carmel Woodman, Caroline Tubbs, Fr. Paul Smyth, Patrick, Mary Molloy, Philip, Therese Callaghan, Martin, Andrew Sheridan, John Sheridan, Rosemary Williams, Josephine Duignan, Maria Hogg, John Leahy, James Leahy, Joseph Leahy, Karen Mc Veigh, Annette Robbins, Shiobhan Bradbury, Caroline Bolger, Vietta Mcmanus, Colm Cryan and Declan Cryan. He is also survived by more than 49 grandnieces and grandnephews. Father was predeceased by his siblings Andrew, Peter, Patrick and John and by his nephews James and Paul. Mass of the High Priest Thursday 7:00pm Church of St. Matthew, R.C., 616 Warburton Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson. Mass of Christian Burial Friday 10:30am. Visiting Church of St. Matthew, R.C., Thursday 2-7 and 8-9pm.