ZMIDEK FAMILY

Colman, the youngest of David and Sura Gitel's five children, founded the fancy cardboard production company, D Smith and Sons, together with his brother Gabriel in the 1940s.

 

Colman's wife Beatrice was the daughter of Abraham Littman, who had married Colman's sister Polly eight years earlier.  The wedding was held at the Great Synagogue, Dukes Place, Aldgate.

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Colman and Beatie had four children: Etty, Frieda, David and Celia (Cissie).

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Howard Smith (Colman's grandson) has never forgotten what Colman told him when he was in his teens. " 'You don't need to go to a place of worship  to be a good person. What counts is to be kind and  decent to others.' He certainly practiced what he preached. When I went to Wales to work at DSS, I stayed with a lovely family, the Richards. The husband, Gordon, had worked as a night watchman for the Company and  told me many times what a gentleman Colman was. Every year, Colman went to the factory in Neath for the Xmas party and Gordon told me that Colman had a gift for communication, he would talk to all  the factory workers as equals.

 

"When I was younger, he and Beatty would invite me for lunch at Goody's in London and then routinely, we'd go and see a film in the West End. When I worked in the London Office, Colman came in for two  hours every day and I always enjoyed chatting to him. He was a wonderful man." Colman and Beatty ate out at Goody's kosher restaurant every night for 35 years.