James R. Smith

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, James R. Smith, who left us on February 26, 2025, at the age of 82. Surrounded by his loving family in his final moments, he was a man of immense selflessness and generosity, cherishing every moment spent with his loved ones. His devotion to his family was abundantly clear by the way he was always present and involved in his children and grandchildren’s lives. His home was open to everyone, whether you needed a place to stay or somewhere to visit. The “Welcome to the Smith’s” sign hanging on the wall as you walked in the front door could not come close to describing how welcome he made you feel.

 Jim enjoyed bowling (Smitty’s Heroes), swimming, fishing, playing cards, being a fish enthusiast, building train sets, listening to music, working on projects around the house, gardening, and playing penny slots. What he enjoyed the most was spending time with his family. He worked tirelessly all year so that he could spend quality time with his family, whether it be to go camping, to amusement parks, to museums, roller skating, or on family vacations. 

Jim is survived by his loving wife, Donna (Meier) Smith; sons, Tim (Rachel) Smith and Tom (Melissa) Smith; daughters Tammy (Brett) Weitendorf and Theresa Smith; brother Paul (Lois) Smith; as well as his adoring ten grandchildren Abby (Brandon) Talley, Thomas Smith, Austin Weitendorf, Samantha Smith, Noah (Kate) Smith, Stephanie Weitendorf, Skylar Smith, Carter Smith, Max Smith and Keyana Smith and two great-grandchildren Leia and Luke Talley. He is preceded in death by his parents Renos and Dolores Smith; brother Larry Smith and Earl Smith; and sister Carol Jaskierski.