. ▁ ▁S math ers ▁often ▁attended ▁" Ch urch ▁by ▁the ▁Sea ", ▁the ▁United ▁Church ▁of ▁Christ ▁in ▁Bal ▁Har bour , ▁Florida . ▁His ▁fun eral ▁was ▁held ▁here ▁after ▁his ▁death ▁at ▁age ▁ 9 3 . ▁S math ers ' s ▁remains ▁are ▁located ▁in ▁Ar ling ton ▁National ▁C emetery . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁death , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁earliest - ser ving ▁former ▁con gress man ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁last ▁one ▁to ▁have ▁served ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁ ▁Rel ations ▁S math ers ▁was ▁personally ▁acquaint ed ▁with ▁every ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁the ▁office ▁in ▁between , ▁and ▁including , ▁Franklin ▁D . ▁Ro ose vel t ▁and ▁Bill ▁Cl inton . ▁He ▁was ▁particularly ▁close ▁to ▁both ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁major ▁party ▁president ial ▁nom ine es , ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁Richard ▁N ixon . ▁All ▁three ▁became ▁con gress men ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁All ▁three ▁had ▁been ▁young ▁sen ators ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁S math ers ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁wed ding ▁party ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁New port ▁wed ding ▁of ▁John ▁Kennedy ▁and ▁Jac qu eline ▁B ouv ier ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁neither ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁nor ▁B ouv ier ▁families . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁through ▁S math ers ▁that ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁met