After suffering a series of strokes, Jerry B. Smith, 82, passed away at his home in McHenry, Ill. on Nov. 17, 2022.
He was born in Beech Grove, Ind. to his parents Elmer and Catherine (Bodenreider) Smith on June 8, 1940.
Shortly after graduating with the 1958 Helmsburg class he joined the US Navy at 18 and had a full and adventurous life traveling throughout the world. He was present at the first dive at the Marianna Trench, helped chart the South Pacific Islands and retired from Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill. after teaching computer technology and repair.
Jerry married Nadine Deckard in Nashville in 1961 and they are survived by daughter Melanie Dawn (Jimmy) Spencer, and son Jeff Smith, both living in Florida.
He is survived by his sister Catherine Smith Donaldson as well as grandchildren, nieces and nephews and many longtime friends spread throughout Brown County, Florida and Illinois.
After retiring from the US Navy he worked for Abbot Laboratories, continuing to work with computers and earning a second retirement.
He met Dorothy and with their marriage he gained an additional large family. Jerry maintained many lifelong interests including working on motors and cars. Does anyone remember that blue DeSoto he had in high school? He restored Grandpa’s John Deere and souped up a lawnmower to enter in parades. Fishing was his favorite pastime and this his favorite prayer:
God grant that I may live to fish until my dying day,
And when it comes to my last cast, I then humbly pray,
When in the Lord’s safe net and peacefully asleep,
Then in His mercy I be judged as good enough to keep.
Inurnment at St. John the Baptist Cemetery, St. John. Illinois.
