On the morning of St Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2026, John Francis “Jack” Smith peacefully passed into eternal rest at his Pine Boulevard home. His beloved wife, Gayle, and family were at his side. He was 95.
Born August 29, 1930, at Holy Name Hospital in
Teaneck, NJ, Jack was the fifth of nine children of Arthur James and Abbie Ellen
(Ogden) Smith. Growing up in a large, close-knit family was a great influence
on his life and honed the quick wit and sense of humor that he was known for
throughout his long life. His sense of duty to family was also strongly forged
at a young age. In 1953, tragedy struck and Jack became guardian of his three
teenage sisters while he was on military deferment to attend college.
After graduating from Fordham University, with a B.S.
in Labor Management, Jack worked for Hills Bros. as a coffee buyer, thus
starting his life of travel that would lead him and his young family to
Canajoharie, and eventually, Cooperstown, NY. On September 28, 1968, Jack married Gayle, and
they came to live, with their children, on Nelson Ave in Cooperstown. After a
brief stint in Highlands, NJ, they returned to Cooperstown in 1973 and settled
at their home on Pine Boulevard. From there, he spent many years as plant
manager in the gum and candy division of Beech-Nut and retired in 1987, having
risen to VP of Operation for Planters-LifeSavers. It became apparent that he
was not yet ready for full-time golf and so ran his own consulting firm until
retiring, again, in 1993. It is sometimes reported that he was the maintenance
man at Overlook Bed & Breakfast, but those claims can neither be confirmed
nor denied.
An avid golfer, Jack enjoyed playing at the
Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown, some of his favorite foursomes
throughout the years included, among many, Paul Lambert, Ted Trossett, Howie
Ryan, Frank Maloney, and Fr. John Sise. Somewhere over the years - between
rounds on all 19 holes – he found time to serve as president of the Canajoharie
Golf Course and chairman of the greens committee at Leatherstocking. He was
also an avid reader and a master of crossword puzzles – pastimes carried on by
his family. And he was a sports supporter fan. He fondly, and often,
recalled playing ice hockey at Madison Square Garden and was known to wager a
coin or two on football games with Duke Mayhew and other friends.
Jack was a member and past president of The Mohican
Club, a member of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 579 and member and
past president of The Fort Rensselaer Club in Canajoharie.
Jack and Gayle could often be found enjoying meals around
town as well as having fun times at the Cooperstown Veterans’ Club. In recent
times, they also enjoyed daily drives together through the surrounding
countryside, and on the afternoon of his passing they took one final ride
around Otsego Lake together.
Jack is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years,
Gayle, of Cooperstown; children - Abbie, Amy, Emily, Sean, Norton (Kimberly
Batarse) and Veronica (and Jeffrey Harris); 11 grandchildren - Philip, Ellen,
Scott (Sonya), Whitney, Allyson, Zachary, Riley, Madison, Ryan, Natalka, and
James; five great grandchildren - Evelyn & Maximillian, Lucille, and Cora
& Sullivan; his dear sister, Vera Quigley of Cooperstown; and many, many
cherished nieces and nephews. He is further survived by in-laws, Gary (Helen)
Shults of Canajoharie, Manly (Karen) Shults of Delhi, Sondra Failing of Fort
Plain, and their families.
In addition to his parents, Jack was predeceased by one
son, Jeffrey; siblings and their spouses: Arthur (Sue), Norton (Joan), Warren
(Marguerite), James (Viola), Robert (Dottie), Mary Buckley (David), and
Madeline Moss (Al); brother-in-law Robert Quigley.
- Calling
Hours: Tuesday, March 24, 4-6 p.m., Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral
Home, 82 Chestnut Street
- Mass
of Christian Burial: Wednesday, March 25, 11 a.m., St. Mary’s “Our Lady of
the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, 31 Elm Street
- The
family invites you to join them for refreshments and a celebration of
Jack’s life following mass in the Parish Center
- Service
of Committal will take place this summer, date to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in the
form of memorial donations may be directed to: Helios Care https://helioscare.org/donate/
or Sons of the American Legion, Post 579.
