A RESPECTED Royal Navy Commander has died, aged 47.
Christopher John Hilton Smith, the son of Dr John and Anthea Smith, and the husband of Sarah, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, January 19.
Born at RAF Hospital Halton in 1969, he moved to Fishbourne with his family in his early teens, and attended schools at various service units, West Buckland, and later Ryde School.
Entering the IW Technical College, he studied engineering and, in qualifying, he won for the engineering department its first college annual prize.
He subsequently studied at Portsmouth and Bournemouth universities.
With a love of sailing and the sea, in 1999 he applied to join the Royal Navy, being subsequently posted to the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, following which he served on HMS Invincible as deputy head of engineering, and later on HMS Chatham as head of engineering and public relations.& ;lt;br />Entering Cranfield University, he subsequently gained his MSc in guided weapon systems and became a chartered engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and a member of the City and Guilds Institute.
He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander after only seven years’ service with the Royal Navy.
He was given further postings as senior technical engineer, defence intelligence staff, and deputy director of engineering support, Royal Navy Fleet Operations headquarters.
In 2012, Cdr Smith was appointed as UK liaison officer to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Department of Defense.
In mid-2015, he returned to the UK, being posted to the position of maritime lead, system of systems approach.
In 2016, he was promoted to the rank of commander.
His family said Cdr Smith’s untimely and tragic death had denied the Royal Navy, devastated families and friends of a wonderful and brilliant young man, who undoubtedly had much more to offer.
Cdr Smith leaves his wife and children Shaun and?Celia.
Cdr Smith's funeral will take place at the Isle of Wight Crematorium on Monday, February 20, at 2.15pm. All are welcome.

The family has requested no flowers, but donations to Help for Heroes.