John Smith

Obituary of John SmithJohn Smith was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on February 29, 1920, and grew up on a farm near Lipton, Saskatchewan. On November 7, 1943, John married Mary Schmidt. They moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario, where John farmed, and then worked in a foundry. He started working for Ford Motor Co. in Buffalo, NY, in 1952, and moved his family to Chicago Heights, IL, in 1956. He retired from Ford in 1985. Then in 1991, they moved to On Top of the World in Ocala, where they lived for 19 years. In April 2010, they moved to Advent Christian Village (ACV), a retirement community providing various levels of care. Last December, John entered the Good Samaritan Center, the nursing facility at ACV.John and Mary enjoyed traveling, especially their long road trips. One such trip lasted three months and took them from coast to coast, and as far north as the Northwest Territory in Canada. John took his family on two Caribbean cruises and took Mary on a three-week European tour and a trip to Malta.John loved to golf with his buddies and his brothers. When he lived in Chicago Heights, he was an avid gardener and kept a meticulous lawn. His roses were the envy of the neighborhood and one year, he had strawberries in November! John also loved to build and work with wood. He built houses, a garage, and helped remodel his niece's home in California. He contributed many hours at the church using his skills and talents in maintenance and landscaping projects.John was predeceased by his parents; his brothers William, Jack and Edward. He is survived by his wife, Mary, his daughters, Joyce (Rex) Lowman of Chicago, IL, and Brenda (Dan) Van Ness of Arlington, VA; one grandson, Michael Van Ness, a student at the University of Pittsburgh; his brothers, Arnold (Irene) of Fort Qu'Appelle, SK, Ewald (Elsie) of San Ramon, CA, Leonard (Pat) of Middleburg Heights, OH, and Albert (Jan) of Northville, MI; and many nieces and nephews.John was graduated to Glory on Thursday, May 26, 2011. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends.Donations may be made in memory of John Smith to: Advent Christian Village Dowling Park Florida 32064

John Smith

February 29, 1920 - May 26, 2011