James E. Smith

The Rev. Jim Smith, beloved in the community for the comfort and ministry he provided to countless patients and their families as chaplain at Halifax Health Medical Center for nearly four decades, passed away Monday, October 6, in Daytona Beach. He was 79.
Smith, a native of western North Carolina, moved to the area in 1975 to start Halifax's pastoral-care program and quickly became a fixture in the lives of colleagues, residents, racecar drivers and tourists, providing solace in some of their darkest days.
"It's important to listen to God's direction," Smith told The Daytona Beach News-Journal when he retired in 2013. "People who are hurting aren't looking for advice. They are looking for comfort and having an authentic presence is very important."
He continued to counsel friends and strangers in retirement, even as his health began to deteriorate. Halifax recognized his contributions by naming its interdenominational sanctuary the James E. Smith Chapel.
James Eugene "Jim" Smith was born on October 18, 1945, in Sylva, N.C., to Pearl Louise Smith (née Pressley), a homemaker from Cullowhee, N.C., and Carmie Eugene Smith Jr., a textile worker and enlisted soldier in the U.S. Army from Asheville, N.C., who was deployed in the Pacific when Jim was born.
Jim was the second of the couple's three children, and his two sisters, Juanita Louise "Lou" Breedlove (née Smith) and Gwendolyn Dianne "Di" Bell (née Smith), remained his best friends until their passings in 2009 and 2021, respectively.
Jim Smith graduated from Enka High School in Candler, N.C., in 1964 and Mars Hill College (now Mars Hill University) in Mars Hill, N.C., in 1968. Smith earned a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., before a job offer first led him to Florida.
In 1973, Smith was hired as chaplain at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. A passionate sports fan, Smith secured UF football tickets before finding a place to live in Gainesville and quickly became a diehard supporter of the Orange and Blue. He traveled from Los Angeles to New York to cheer on his team and remained a member of Gator Boosters for the rest of his life.
After two years at Shands, Smith was hired as Halifax's first staff chaplain on the recommendation of the Rev. Doug Harrell, his close friend and classmate at Southern Seminary, and the Rev. Hal Marchman, both then pastors at Central Baptist Church in Daytona Beach. Smith became a member at Central and was active in church life.
Smith was survived by his children, Todd Smith (Paige Sangston), of Port Orange, Chad Smith (Jacqueline Davison), of Gainesville, and Meaghan Saunders (Stephan Saunders), of Port Orange, whom he shared with ex-wife and friend Jenny Smith (née Misko); grandchildren, Avery Louise Smith, Emmett Wayne Saunders, Griffin James Saunders and Elinor Jenny Saunders;
brother-in-law Jim Bell; nieces, Carmen Myers and Teri Hall; nephew Jamie Bell; grandnieces, Ashley Breedlove, Autumn Robinson and Adeline Bell; grandnephew, Bryson Hall; step-grandchildren, Luke Farmer, Penny Farmer and Gwen Shouse; step-great-grandchild, Lucy Farmer; and close friend Greg Foster.
In addition to his sisters, he was preceded in death by his father in 1972; his mother in 2011; and his nephew Michael Thad "Mike" Breedlove in 2015.
Smith-known in the family by the nickname "Pupper," young Di's mispronunciation of "brother"-was an ever-present father, loving grandfather, and dedicated son, brother and uncle. He was a source of levity in good times and strength in difficult ones.
Visitation will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, at Lohman Funeral Home Port Orange, 1201 Dunlawton Ave.
A memorial service officiated by Harrell will be held at noon on Friday, October 10, at Central Baptist Church, 152 Fairview Ave.
A private service will be held at Groce Funeral Home in Asheville at a later date, with burial following at Pisgah View Memorial Park in Candler, near the resting place of his parents.