John (Jack) J. Smith

John (Jack) Smith passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 1, 2022 at the age of 93 after a valiant battle with cancer. He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and an inspiration to those who knew and loved him. Jack is predeceased by his daughter, Brenda Dean; his mother, Helen Maxian; his father, Paul Smith; and his cousin Paul Mitchell, who he loved like a brother.

He is survived by his wife, Frances; his daughters, June, Doreen (Allan Ostrom), and Gina (Gerry Haddad); his grandchildren Corey, Carey, Holly, Brodey, Willie, Brandon, Chad, Heidi, Emily, Shannon, Abigail, and Justin; his great-grandchildren Coryssa, Troy, Harlem, Adrian, Nobel, Milly, Camarria, Jared, Jasmine, Luke, Landon, Calib, and Jacob; and his great-great grandchildren Ezra and Celine. Jack was born on March 26, 1929 in Lackawanna, NY and grew up on the East Side of Binghamton. He graduated from North High School and served in the United States Army during the Korean War, rising to the rank of Staff Sargent as a member of the 25th Infantry Division.

He spent most of his professional career as a Tool Maker for Singer Link in Kirkwood, NY. Jack was a devoted Catholic and a longtime member of Saint Joseph’s Church in Sanitaria Springs, NY. He was an active member of his church community and worked alongside his wife Frances to help in any way that he could. His greatest joy in life was spending time with his beloved family and over the past sixty years you could count on seeing him at most every sporting event, concert, and graduation for his children, grand-children, and great- 1 / 2 grandchildren. His compassion and strength of character served as a model for those around him and he practiced his faith every day with humility and grace.

A Funeral Mass will be Celebrated Saturday, December 10, 2022 at 10:00 am at St. Joseph's Church, Sanitaria Springs.  The family will receive friends at the church on Saturday from 9:00am until the mass at 10:00 am.  Burial will be in Sanitaria Springs Cemetery.  The family would like to thank the staff of Lourdes Hospice for their support, encouragement, and constant reassurance these past few months. With their help, we were able to let Jack stay where he always wanted to be (home) until he took his last breath. “Elders worthy of emulation know they will soon lose life so they generously give it away to those around them.” ~Doug Von Koss

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