James Buford "Jb" Smith Jr.

We celebrate the beautiful life of JB Smith, Jr., a man who could turn a simple day into an adventure with a smile and a playful trick. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, JB grew up believing that hard work and laughter belong side by side.
As a boy, he learned to tinker under the watchful eye of his father, "Big JB," at the family garage on Clarksville Pike. Those early hours with wrenches and engines sparked a lifelong love for fixing anything with wheels. Drag racing at Riverside was a rite of passage during his formative years.
Away from the garage, JB felt most at home outdoors-casting a fishing line, tracking squirrels and deer, or swapping stories around a campfire. Even during a quiet evening of western movies, he was known to plot a harmless prank, keeping friends and relatives on their toes and in good spirits.
JB's favorite gatherings were the lively Fourth of July fish fry, Easter feasts, and the holiday fried turkey at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Whether flipping fish or carving turkey, he stayed humble, responsible, and ready to help anyone who needed it. Occasionally, he made trips to Oklahoma stopping at Tunica both coming and going to try his luck at the slots. He often walked away with more than he started with but always had fun no matter the outcome.
His steady support and joyful spirit shaped a circle of family and friends who carry his lessons of effort, confidence, and kindness. As we remember him in Ashland City, Tennessee, we promise to keep the fish sizzling, the stories rolling, and the laughter loud-just the way JB liked it.
Those who have passed on before him are parents Big JB and Lois Smith, brothers, Jimmy and Joe Smith, sister, Norma Hand, twin children, Donald Gene and Betty Jean Smith, daughter, Jackie Downing, and grandparents, Granny Randall and Papa Dave.
Those left behind to cherish his memory are loving wife of 23 years, Tina Smith, son, James (Hotrod) B. and Susan Smith, III, step-son, Doug (Dougie) and Jen Downing, grandchildren, Tabitha, Jared, Jeffery, Mika, Trey, Cali, Rylee, 12 great grandchildren, sister, Susie Phelps, and a multitude of nieces and nephews.