Larry B. Smith was born in northcentral Pennsylvania, where he developed a lifelong interest in fossils beginning in grade school. He earned a degree in geology from Bloomsburg University and spent more than two decades working as an environmental geologist with various environmental and engineering firms.

During the final decade of his career, he served as an environmental geologist and regional project officer with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) in the Hazardous Site Cleanup Act section. In this role, he oversaw soil and groundwater remediation on state and federal Superfund projects. His work also included dam inspections, review of work permits for horizontal drilling and pipeline installations submitted by petroleum companies, and wetland site delineations. He retired from PADEP in 2025.

His primary research interest lies in plant fossils, and he currently has two plant specimens, dating to the Upper Devonian Period and the Pennsylvania Subperiod, under review by paleobotanists for possible identification as new or rare species. His additional interests include reading (historical, Christian, political, and scientific works), collecting fossils in amber, hunting, photography (landscape, lunar, and trains), railroad memorabilia, autographed astronaut and cosmonaut photographs, and amateur astronomy. He continues to write and is actively engaged in several research projects focused on plant–insect interactions.

Smith resides in southcentral Pennsylvania, where he has a particular interest in the lifestyles and traditions of the Old Order Amish and Mennonite communities in the region.