Stephen Bruce Smart, Jr., former CEO of the Continental Group and Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade, died on Thanksgiving Day at his home in Middleburg, VA. He was 95.

Mr. Smart, known as Bruce, worked for Continental Group (formerly Continental Can Company) for more than 30 years, rising through various sales and management positions to become Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. In 1985 he was appointed Undersecretary of Commerce for International Trade by President Ronald Reagan, a position he held until 1988.

A lifelong outdoorsman and conservationist, he was Vice Chairman of the Nature Conservancy and went on to become a senior fellow and board member of the World Resources Institute and a member of the board of directors of the League of Conservation Voters. He wrote extensively on business, ethics and the environment. His 1992 book, Beyond Compliance: A New Industry View of the Environment, pointed the way for companies to adapt to climate change.

In 1987 Bruce and his wife, Edith (Merrill) Smart, moved to Upperville, VA, where he owned and managed a horse and cattle farm. There, his lifelong passion for competition, incubated on schoolboy hockey teams and honed on racing sailboats, found an outlet in thoroughbred steeplechasing. He inherited a love of antiques and history from his mother and strongly believed that an appreciation of the past was necessary to forge a sustainable future.

In Virginia, he served as a member of Loudoun County's Zoning Ordinance Working Group and the county's Tax Equity Committee. He was Chairman and Trustee Emeritus of Middleburg Academy (formerly Notre Dame Academy), Senior Warden of Trinity Episcopal Church of Upperville, and a member of the Virginia Governor's Commission on Climate Change. He is the author of two memoirs and a trilogy about the people and culture of his beloved community.

Bruce attended Milton Academy. He is a graduate of Harvard College and earned a master's degree in Civil Engineering from MIT. When his academic career was interrupted by World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Medical Department, returning to service during the Korean War as a First Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers.

He was born in New York City on February 7, 1923, to Beatrice (Cobb) Smart and Stephen Bruce Smart, former president and chairman of Fruit of the Loom, Inc. Soon after, the family moved to Bedford, NY, where he grew up.

Besides Edie, his wife of 69 years, he is survived by his sister, Katharine Place; his four children, Edith Moore of Scottsdale, AZ, William Smart of Bainbridge Island, WA, Charlotte Rogan of Westport, CT, and Priscilla Schwarzenbach of Marblehead, MA; eleven grandchildren; and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 9108 John S. Mosby Highway, Upperville, VA, on Saturday, December 8 at 10:00 AM. A reception will follow the service at Buchanan Hall, 8459 John S. Mosby Highway, Upperville, VA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the conservation organization of your choice.