John Rockwell "Rocky" Smith

1937 - 2018

John Rockwell "Rocky" Smith obituary, 1937-2018, Stoughton, MA

BORN

1937

DIED

2018

FUNERAL HOME

Farley Funeral Home

358 Park St.

Stoughton, Massachusetts

John Smith Obituary

Visit the Legacy Remembers website to view the full obituary.

John Rockwell (Rocky) Smith
July 10, 1937- January 6, 2018

Rocky Smith, an adventurer and long time Park City resident, passed away on January 6th, 2018. In the VA hospital in San Diego just a few miles away from his home is Baja, Mexico

Rocky was born in New York but grew up in Seattle, WA. He had a passion for fast cars as a young man, something he never truly grew out of. Rocky said that in the late 1950's when he was a young man, the expectation among all his friends was military service, so he served two years in the Coast Guard just out of high school. While still in the Coast Guard he met Shirley Morberg, the daughter of two Scandinavian immigrants to Seattle, to whom he was married for thirty years. Together they had two sons, Brian and Eric.

Rocky's sons were born while he was a student at the University of Washington. One day he took an aptitude test and was offered a job with a company he'd never heard of: IBM. His job was to repair computers at Boeing, something which at the time had more to do with carrying a toll box than programming.

In 1972 Rocky signed his family up for a tour in the Peace Corps. The family spent two years in Malawi, in East Africa. While there, Rocky developed a taste for warm weather and a relatively carefree life that he never lost. At the end of the Peace Corps assignment Rocky traveled with his wife and sons for 9 months across Africa and Asia. Rocky returned to Seattle and rejoined the rat race, landing a job with 3M as a salesman.

After living abroad in the relaxed pace of a former British colony in the tropics, life in the rainy city of Seattle with a corporate job lost its allure and in 1976 Rocky and Shirley were looking for something else. They found the answer in an old mining town in the mountains that had recently built a ski resort: Park City, Utah.

There Rocky got involved in the boomtown growth, developing homes and investing in real estate. As his kids grew and moved out on their own, Rocky's free spirit led him back to adventuring. He spent a lot of his time in sunny foreign locales and especially enjoyed sailing in Greece and Turkey.

Starting in the 1990's, Rocky became a road-tripping sunbird, wintering in Florida, Arizona and other locations. Eventually he developed a congestive heart failure condition that meant he could no longer live at 7,000 feet at all and moved to Baja California in 2010. He loved Baja and lived out his final years looking at the ocean and meeting up with the many friends he made there.

Rocky was always a free spirit, the master of minimalism. He could live well on next to nothing and went through his final years of declining health with great strength and spirit. He loved the company of his friends and always enjoyed a drink or few with them.

Your family and friends all over will miss you, Rocky!

Rocky is survived by his sons Brian and Eric, their mother Shirley, his sister Marilyn and nephew Sean.

There will be a memorial planned in Park City and one in Baja in Summer 2018, dates to be determined.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Memories and Condolences
for John Smith

Sponsored by parkrecord.com.

What is your first memory of John?

Share a favorite memory you have of John.

Tell us about a special moment you shared with John.

Describe a time when John made you laugh or smile.

What is something you will always remember about John?

Talk about a shared experience you had with John.

What is something you did together that you enjoyed?

Describe a place or activity that reminds you of John.

Tell us about a personal story or anecdote involving John.

What is something you learned from John?

Not sure what to say?

3 Entries

May 3, 2018

Rocky taught us a lot when I was a kid. I learned not to be so black and white in my thinking. He put up with our brash, annoying youth well. He will be missed.

April 6, 2018

Debbie Hansen

Sorry to hear about your Dad. I always enjoyed listening to the stories of your adventures. I know how much he loved Baja...May he rest in peace!

April 5, 2018

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Rocky, but grateful for his service to our nation with the Peace Corps in Malawi.

Our Condolences,
The National Peace Corps Association

Showing 1 - 3 of 3 results

Make a Donation
in John Smith's name

Memorial Events
for John Smith

To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one.

Funeral services provided by:

Farley Funeral Home

358 Park St., Stoughton, MA 02072

How to support John's loved ones
Commemorate a cherished Veteran with a special tribute of Taps at the National WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The nightly ceremony in Washington, D.C. will be dedicated in honor of your loved one on the day of your choosing.

Read more
Attending a Funeral: What to Know

You have funeral questions, we have answers.

Read more
Should I Send Sympathy Flowers?

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?

Read more
What Should I Write in a Sympathy Card?

We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.

Read more
Resources to help you cope with loss
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Estate Settlement Guide

If you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.

Read more
Obituaries, grief & privacy: Legacy’s news editor on NPR podcast

Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.

Read more
The Five Stages of Grief

They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel.

Read more
Ways to honor John Smith's life and legacy
How to Write an Obituary

Need help writing an obituary? Here's a step-by-step guide...

Read more
Obituary Templates

These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.

Read more
Obituary Examples

You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.

Read more
How Do I Write a Eulogy?

Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.

Read more

Sponsored