Gerald William "Jerry" Smith

Gerald "Jerry" William Smith, age 88, of Antigo, passed away on January 28, 2026. He will be deeply missed by all his family and friends. Jerry was born January 14, 1938, in Antigo, to Clayton and Anna Smith. He is survived by his wife, Judith Ann (Walton), with whom he shared more than 60 wonderful years of marriage. They were married on July 2, 1965, in Green Bay.

Jerry was a graduate of Antigo High School, class of 1956, and served with the Antigo Army Reserves. He began his career at Northwest Engineering in Green Bay, where he worked for 12 years. In April of 1969, Jerry and his family returned to Antigo, where he spent the next 30 years dairy farming. You could always find him doing something around the farm from sunup to sundown.

He found joy in the simple pleasures of life. Jerry loved being outdoors-cutting firewood, making maple syrup, deer hunting, golfing, snowmobiling (Crestwood Wildcats), fishing, and spending time at the cottage on Lake Gogebic. Throughout the years, he was a member of several leagues, including; bowling, pool, and darts. He also loved playing cards and trips to the casino. Feeding the birds and spending time with his dog, Tooper, brought joy to his everyday life. Jerry always enjoyed spending time with his family, friends, and especially the grandchildren.

In addition to his wife of 60 years, survivors include two children from his marriage with Judy, Cindy (Dan) Houdek and Jeffrey (Tammy) Smith both of Antigo; three children from his first marriage, Debra (Christopher) Tetting of Antigo, Christine (Barry) Stanford of Antigo, and Jerry (Mary) Smith of Eureka Springs, AR; Seventeen grandchildren: Nicholas, Matthew, Lane, Corrin, Cole, Justin, Deric, Stephanie, Crystal, Troy, Shannon, Amanda, Joseph, Maddie, Robert, and Cole; twenty-six great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren. Additional survivors include two brothers, James Smith of Antigo and Richard Smith of Aniwa, and a sister-in-law, Viola Hoppe of Janesville.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Norman Hoppe; sister, Betty Seaman; brother-in-law, Edward Seaman; two sister-in-laws, Gail Smith and Valerie Smith; daughter, Susan and her husband Randy Reese; grandchildren, D'Anna Dillman and Jeffrey Smith Jr.

In accordance with Jerry's wishes, a private family service was held on Monday, February 2, 2026.