John Smietanka

John A. Smietanka, 84, of Stevensville passed away Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital in St. Joseph, surrounded by family and a sunny fall afternoon.

Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 220 Church St., St. Joseph, with Father Jack Pfeiffer officiating. Burial will follow at 1 p.m. EST, Thursday, at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Calumet City, Ill. Friends may visit with the family from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph. Memorial donations in John's name may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church or "Blue's Fund" at Two by Two Animal Hospital. Those wishing to sign John's memory book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.

John was born June 28, 1941, in Chicago's South Side to Allan J. and Virginia Smietanka and was raised in LaGrange, Ill. John attended Our Lady of the Ozarks for his minor seminary Education and Our Lady of the Snows for his undergraduate degree in 1974, and graduated from John Marshall Law School in 1968. John practiced law with his father, Allan, at Smietanka & Garrigan Law Firm for two years after passing the bar in 1969.

From 1971-74, after moving to Michigan, he served as assistant prosecuting attorney for Berrien County and as prosecuting attorney from 1974-81. After nomination by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, John served as the U.S. Attorney Western District of Michigan. He served through the first Bush Administration and two years of the Clinton Administration into 1994.

During his special assignment to the Department of Justice, he was the principal deputy attorney general working as chief assistant to Deputy Attorney General William Barr. He was then named by Attorney General Janet Reno to be the Special U.S. Attorney in Chicago in charge of the El Rukn trials.

John then served in private practice with Smietanka, Buckleitner, Steffes & Gezon (later Smietanka Law Firm) until February of 2025. He specialized in actual innocence cases for which he was named Lawyer of the Year in 2005 by Michigan Lawyer's Weekly, following the exoneration of Larry Souter after decades of wrongful incarceration. John also practiced in state and federal courts throughout Michigan and Illinois.

John was the founder of With Respect on Radio Harbor Country, which transitioned to WSJM about 10 years ago. During this time, he interviewed more than 700 people including authors, politicians, scientists, athletes, artists, journalists and activists.

John taught with John Marshall Law School at their annual seminar for Czech & Slovak lawyers in the Czech Republic from 2001-19. He ran for Michigan attorney general as the Republican nominee in 1994 and 1998, but unfortunately lost to the "Eternal General" Frank Kelley and eventual Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm. He was nominated by President George H.W. Bush to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in 1992, but unfortunately his nomination was held up and lapsed at the end of the Bush Administration.

One of his favorite stories to tell was being called by President Bush one evening to inform him he was being nominated. John asked if the president could speak to his daughter who was 8 years old at the time. He gladly obliged. Carrie spoke to the president for several minutes and after wouldn't tell her dad what was said, because President Bush had suggested he was appointing John to a very important position and she needed to treat him with respect.

John served as past president of Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan and testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee in 2008 on the controversial issue of the removal of U.S. attorneys by the president. He also served on the Lincoln Township Public Library Board in the 2010s.

In his free time, John enjoyed Notre Dame and Michigan sports. He was a season ticket holder of Notre Dame women's basketball for 20 years. He enjoyed supporting the Irish women particularly on the Dance Cam, where he was a regular champion. He was also an avid swimmer, basketball player and he represented St. Joseph Catholic for many years both on and off their softball team. John enjoyed spending time reading nearly every genre of books, but took particular interest in history and science. He worked on multiple books, including several regarding his very strong faith in God. The motto of his radio show summed up John's life perfectly: "Show respect to others and they will show respect to you."

John is survived by his daughter, Carrie Smietanka-Haney (Michael Haney); two granddaughters: Bailey and Maggie Haney; his brother, Raymond Smietanka; and fiancée, Susan Frost. John's happiest role was that of a father and grandfather, but he instilled the importance of family to all he was close to.

He was preceded in death by his parents.