Deacon Gerard Francis "Jerry" Smith

1935 - 2019

Deacon Gerard Francis 'Jerry' Smith
Deacon Gerard Francis "Jerry" Smith, 84, was called home by the Lord June 25, 2019, while surrounded by his loving family and beloved dog, Ginger, and great-granddog, Mr. Higgins. He will lie in state at St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand. The family will receive friends 5-6 p.m. Friday, July 12, with a wake service to follow at 6 p.m. at the church. A Mass service will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 13, at the church. He will be laid to rest with military honors at Linden Cemetery in Linden, during a private interment.
Deacon Smith was born June 10, 1935, in Philadelphia, to Walter and Marie Smith.
Jerry served in the U.S. Air Force 1952-56 prior to attending Florida State University.
He was stationed at Pinecastle Air Force Base in Orlando, where he met the love of his life, Patricia Ruth Branch of Leesburg.
Jerry and Patsy wed Feb. 4, 1956, and celebrated 61 years of love and devotion to each other.
Deacon Jerry had a successful career with the Federal Aviation Administration. He was an air traffic controller and served as chief in Valdosta and Savannah, Georgia, and Daytona Beach.
He retired as assistant chief at Orlando International Airport in 1987, after 32-and-a-half years of service.
After retirement, he and Patsy ventured into real estate and founded Prestige Property Specialists in 1988. Their legacy is carried on by their daughter, Kellee Smith.
Deacon Jerry was the cornerstone of the Smith family, as he and Patsy created a family that extended well beyond the walls of their home to include four children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Affectionately called "Binky" by his family and close friends, Deacon Jerry was a loving man, a trusted confidant and mentor, a devoted Catholic, and a master joke-teller and storyteller.
Jerry was ordained June 20, 1998, at St. James Cathedral in Orlando, and was a beloved deacon at St. Peter Catholic Church in DeLand.
He was an active member of the community, and devoted his time to sharing God's Word through multiple ministries, including the KAIROS Prison Ministry, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, by training of altar servers, as chaplain for Florida Hospital DeLand, and through a campus ministry at Father Lopez Catholic High School in Daytona Beach.
Jerry was a beloved member of the Knights of Columbus and served as a past grand knight.
Deacon Jerry is best-known for his quick wit, unforgettable sense of humor, loving heart, wisdom and compassion.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Marie Smith; beloved wife Patricia "Patsy" Smith; brothers Walter "Bruzy" and John "Higgin" Smith; sisters Marie "Jetty" Hueber, Margaret "Pudgie" Pultro, Elizabeth "Betty Jane" Mackinder and Agnes "Aggie" Smith; and sons Gregory and Ryan "Bo" Smith. He is survived by his sister Victorine "Vickie" Kihm of Philadelphia; son Michael (Jennifer) Smith of Deltona; daughter Kellee Smith of DeLand; granddaughters Christa and Catrina Smith of Savannah, Danielle (Jason) Lefebre of DeLand, Erin Rae Smith of Scottsdale, Arizona, and Anslee Holland of DeLand; grandsons Cory (Ereca) Smith of DeLand, Trey Holland of Atlanta, Scott and Austin Taylor of Deltona, and Jake Kurey of Port Orange; great-grandchildren Finnegan, Rowan and Breeland, all of DeLand, and Logan and Kairi of Savannah, as well as numerous loving nieces, nephews and close friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made in Jerry's memory to continue his life's passion of service by providing inscribed Bibles to be distributed through prison ministries. Donations may be made to the Deacon Jerry Smith Memorial Fund (account number ending in 9129) at Mainstreet Community Bank, 204 S. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32720. Lankford was in charge.