Worry is only paying interest on trouble, and who wants to pay interest?

That was the motto that businessman Richard Smail, of Cranberry, shared with friends and family.

"He absolutely was the most positive-minded man that I've ever known," said his wife, Lynn. "He truly believed that he could do anything."

Mr. Smail died Aug. 6 at the age of 87.

A World War II veteran, Mr. Smail served in the Army Air Forces. Upon his return to the states following the war, he met his future wife. She was working as a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic, where Mr. Smail's sister was a patient. His sister performed a little matchmaking, and the rest is history, Mrs. Smail said.

Mr. Smail had a long career with the Dravo Corp., from which he retired in 1983 at the age of 62.

He wasn't satisfied to sit at home, so he started his own company, called Doyle Equipment Co., which sells construction equipment and related items and is located in Cranberry and Westmoreland County.

"His friends thought he was crazy and wanted to know why he didn't just sit back and relax," Mrs. Smail said. "But he wasn't content with just sitting back and doing nothing."

After a few years with the company, Mr. Smail retired and turned it over to his son, David, of Mars.

Mr. Smail helped others, both financially and by serving as a mentor.

"He helped a few of his nieces and nephews go to college and paid their tuition. One of them went to law school. He's now a lawyer," Mrs. Smail said. "He was a mentor to so many people, people who were in need."

Mr. Smail's granddaughter, Courtney Sikora, of Mars, recalled how she and her brother would argue over who was going to get to sit on their grandfather's lap.

"Before it escalated to physical fighting, he used to say that papa's lap was big enough for everyone," she said, laughing. "He was just that kind of wonderful soul."

Among her best memories of her grandfather are the opportunities she had to travel with him. Each of the Smails' grandchildren was allowed to choose a destination to visit with their grandparents. Ms. Sikora chose Scandinavia.

"They gave us a love of traveling the world and respect for other cultures," she said.

In his spare time, Mr. Smail enjoyed golfing. He was part of a foursome that used to travel the country, playing at various golf clubs.

The group held an annual "Golden Goose" tournament, Mrs. Smail said. The winner got the privilege of having the golden goose award for the next year.

"It was actually a brass duck, but they called it the golden goose," she said.

Mr. Smail won the goose three or four times during his years with the foursome, she said.

Mr. Smail also enjoyed reading and made it a point to learn about things his family liked.

"He took an interest in anything you were interested in," Ms. Sikora said. "It made you feel really special."

In addition to his wife of 60 years, his son and his granddaughter, Mr. Smail is survived by his other children, Rick, of Cranberry, and Markay, of Park City, Utah; seven other grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services were held Tuesday at Memorial Park Presbyterian Church, Hampton.