John B. Smith, Jr., 86, passed away at home on Saturday, November 7, 2015. A memorial service will be held 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Sheffield on Saturday, November 21, 2015 with Rev. Jaina Glaze and Rev. Dr. Tammy Gregory Brown officiating. The family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall beginning at noon.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lee Crutcher Smith; parents, Johnnie B. Smith, Sr. and Clayton Veteto Smith; sisters Stella Smith McClanahan and Minta Faye Smith Morrison; brother William Rufus Smith.
He is survived by his son, Patrick (Mary Kate) Smith; grandson Patrick Malone; great-grandchildren Macy Malone and Mack Malone; nephew Edward Morrison.
He was native of Lawrence County, Tennessee and a 1948 of Lawrence County High School in Lawrenceburg, where he lettered in football and baseball. He met his wife while they were students at Bethel College, marrying in 1950. He served in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean conflict. His career in public education spanned 40 years. After graduating from Baylor University in 1954, he returned home to become the head football and basketball coach and biology instructor at Loretto (Tennessee) High School. In 1963, he became an assistant football coach, junior high basketball coach and science instructor at Deshler High School in Tuscumbia. Graduating in the first Masters in Education class at UNA in 1967 (then Florence State Teachers College), he assumed the position of assistant principal at Deshler, serving through 1972. At that time he became the principal of Northside Middle School in Tuscumbia, serving until 1990. In 1990, he returned to Deshler as principal, serving until he retired in 1993. He had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of students and players during his long career. He was a life-long, active Presbyterian, serving as a ruling elder at First-Sheffield and was very active in the life of that congregation. He was a very humble man who wanted no attention brought to himself and worked always for the benefit of others. We celebrate his new life, but he will nonetheless be sorely missed by his family and the larger community which he served.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Benevolence Project at First Presbyterian Church, Sheffield.
