Kitsap Bank is saddened to announce the passing of 70-year Director and Vice-Chairwoman of the Board, Helen Langer Smith.  Langer Smith’s 70-year tenure on Kitsap Bank’s Olympic Bancorp Board of Directors until her passing on July 28, 2023, makes her one of the longest-ever serving bank directors in the country.  Born in Port Orchard on June 5, 1929, Helen Langer Smith was the daughter of Frank E Langer, Jr (Kitsap County Bank’s 4^th President) and Hannah Norum Langer (Kitsap County Bank’s 5^th President).  A Port Orchard resident, Langer Smith attended school in the South Kitsap School District, graduating from high school in 1946.

Helen went on to attend the University of Washington where she graduated cum laude with a Journalism/English degree and an Economics minor in 1950.  Active in the campus community, she was President of Mortar Board and served on staff of both the Tyee yearbook and the school paper, The Daily.  She pledged Delta Gamma Sorority, was very active in Associated Women Students; and she was also President of Rally Girls, the Husky cheerleading squad. 

After her father died in 1953, Helen entered banking, joining the family-owned Seattle Trust and Savings Bank (later Key Bank) in 1953.  During the summer between jobs, she took an interim position managing the YWCA in Seattle.  She then joined Seattle First National Bank (SeaFirst Bank, Bank of America), where she became one of the first women to enter their formal banker training program.  Helen has always placed an emphasis on the role of small businesses in society and the positive impact they have on our nation’s economy. 

Helen married Dr. Meredith P. (Buz) Smith, and orthopedic surgeon, on September 29, 1961.  The couple had three daughters, Cydly Langer Smith (Brian Sato), Stephanie Smith, and Melinda Smith Pigors (Michael Pigors) and three grandchildren, Hannah Pigors, Michael Pigors, Jr., and Mari Sato.  Helen and Buz raised their family in Medina, WA, establishing a home they shared for over 57 years. 

Family Ownership & Board Tenure

Kitsap Bank has been privately owned by the Langer Family for over 90 years, 70 of which as a women-owned company.  Langer Smith was the second generation of woman-ownership.  She joined the Board of Directors of Kitsap County Bank in January 1953, following the death of her father.  Helen served on the board for more than 70 years, along with her mother, Hannah, who was the first female bank president west of the Mississippi River, and later her daughters, Cydly and Melinda.  Helen was elected Board Chair in 1986, presiding for 25 years until her daughter, Cydly Langer Smith, was elected Chairwoman.  Kitsap Bank’s family ownership continues under the leadership of Chairwoman Cydly Langer Smith and Director Melinda Pigors. 

Philanthropy

Helen’s spirit of philanthropy exemplifies Kitsap Bank’s family legacy and its enduring ties with the communities in western Puget Sound.  A patron of arts and culture, Helen and her family had a pivotal role in the late 1980’s rescue of the Admiral Theatre, a Bremerton landmark built just after World War II.  Her enduring support of local non-profits extends to numerous organizations such as Martha & Mary, North Kitsap Fishline, Poulsbo Historical Society and Kitsap County Historical Society.  In 2015, Helen authorized a $500,000 donation by Kitsap Bank to South Kitsap School District to build a new state-of-the-art athletic field at her alma mater, South Kitsap High School.  Champions of education, she and her husband have also endowed scholarships at Olympic College and University of Washington Foster School of Business.  Helen’s generosity and love of community continues through Kitsap Bank’s Community Connections Program, which supports over 100 non-profit organizations with donations totaling more than one half million dollars annually.

“Helen was a remarkable leader, business person, banker and human being.  She genuinely cared about Kitsap Bank’s employees and their families and got to know as many as she could through the years.  She also cared about her community and set the tone in Kitsap Bank’s ongoing commitment to giving back, both in donations and through active volunteerism,” notes Steve Politakis, Kitsap Bank CEO, “Helen was an intelligent businesswoman with a quick wit and a generous spirit.  We are grateful for her leadership and we will continue to honor her legacy.  It was Helen’s wish that Kitsap Bank would thrive well after her passing.  Our family ownership continues under the unwavering stewardship, leadership and support of our Chairwoman, Cydly Langer Smith and Director, Melinda Pigors.  They, along with our entire Board of Directors are dedicated to the long-term success of Kitsap Bank.”