J & K Ranch Kennels
Eulogy for James D. Smith
March 10, 2006
Epiphany Lutheran Church, Houston, Texas
We have come today to celebrate the life, values and contributions of James D. Smith. He was known as “”Smithey”, “Butch”, Jim, Dad, Uncle Jim and “Big Ugly Dog One.”
Jim was born on January 14, 1944 in Akron, Ohio. He was of German and Irish descent. He was the oldest of three children born to John and Earla Smith. As a child, he was surrounded by a close and loving family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. He was outgoing, talkative, a good student, loved sports and was an avid reader at an early age. He was blessed with a wonderful family and home life provided by his mother, Earla J. Smith. His father, John M. Smith was a well-known and respected banker who effectively bestowed upon his children the values of family, friends, commitment, integrity, ethics in business, loyalty and a positive philosophy in dealing with life.
Jim served his country for four years as a leading electronics technician aboard the guided missile destroyer, the USS Charles F. Adams. He saw duty in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the North Atlantic and the Caribbean.
Upon his Honorable Discharge from the military in December of 1967, he returned to his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona to work part time and completed college in 1971.
In 1970, Jim married Mary Kevin Kelly and they made a home in Phoenix and continued college together. Jim obtained a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and in 1974, he became licensed to practice as a C.P.A...
His thirty –seven year marriage produced two children and many years of happiness.
Kelly Marie Smith Devine
Clayton James Smith
He considered their marriage an equal partnership that God’s hand had touched. He was an exceptional spouse and a very involved father to his children. He coached pee wee football, was always in attendance at football and softball games and became as he called it, “the rag in the pocket guy,” at horse shows. He took his children to work with him on a regular basis, on hunting trips and to field trials. Kelly has always considered him to be her “prince”.
During the course of his professional career, he was an administrative-assistant to the then retired Senator Carl T. Hayden. He worked for the State of Arizona as an auditor. He worked for the public accounting firm of Elmer Fox and Westheimer as a staff accountant. He was an assistant controller for a Budweiser distributorship in Phoenix. In 1976, he became the controller for an oil field service business out of Artesia, New Mexico. As a financial professional, he took that company from a small private company to a public world wide company. Previous to his death, he had been in the human resource business with his most loyal partner and friend, W.S. (Sherman) Adcock.
As a teenager he loved the yearly bird hunting trips he took with his father and brother. As a young man, he always wanted a bird-dog and always had an interest in quail hunting and shooting sports. As a child, his favorite books were about dogs and the outdoor life.
In the early 70s he purchased his first GSP. When he came home from work in the evenings he would put the baby in his backpack and took baby and dog to the field.
Jim had many, many giving mentors in the Shorthair world that fostered his interest in training, breeding and field trialing.
In the 80s, Jim formalized their dog and horse interest into J & K Ranch Kennels. He grew to appreciate horses and became a respectable horseman. He loved his mare and colts. His favorite publication in the horse world became the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders Guide. Every page was studied, scrutinized, noted and marked. Jim mentored many in business and in dogs.
He referred to his travels with his dogs and horses as “their adventures”. He looked forward to their yearly trip to the South Dakota prairies. He found great personal fulfillment in his relationship with his wife, his family, his friends, his animals and in his travels. Family, children, grandchildren, dogs, horses and the prairie were all places where he felt closest to God.
Jim was blessed with creativity and imagination and was an avid reader. He read the bible regularly. He had a collection of Louis L’Amour books. Two of his favorite authors were Tom Clancy and John Grisham. Kelly is convinced that Jim read The Winds of War, War and Peace and War and Remembrance every year!
Before we conclude Kelly wanted to share with you some humorous things about Jim and their life together:
We had Dad’s dating tips- which were fortunately never formalized in writing.
Many times Kelly kept the storage shed locked because she didn’t want Jim getting out his tools to “fix” things.
Jim had highly developed powers of concentration- he could and would read and study anytime despite being surrounded by a mess, the television, barking dogs or noisy children.
Bar-B-Q talk- father and son discussions.
His occasional outbursts and descriptions in sailor language.
His description of the USS Charles F. Adams and his world travels.
Jim is survived by his spouse of thirty-seven years, Mary Kevin Kelley Smith; a daughter, Kelley Marie Devine and her husband Joseph Devine; a son, Clayton James Smith, and daughter-in-law Jennifer Tate Smith; two grandchildren, Nathaniel Patrick Devine and Elle Mirabella Devine. He is also survived by his mother Earla. J. Smith, his sister Pamela Hage, brother in law, David J. Hage, a brother, Harry M. Smith and by numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces.
He leaves behind many friends and business associates.
He also leave behind his horse “Shorty”, his devoted dog, “Jake” and his ever-present cat, “Chesire”.
The family would like to thank Dr. Hector Alejandro Preti and staff for the excellent medical care during the course of his illness.
His spouse would like to thank his family, his business partner and his friends around the country and Canada for their daily support and prayers.
Kelley and the children would also like to ask that you prayer that Doctors Preti and Slavin are inspired to find a cure for this disease so that there may be a day when a spouse, children, grandchildren, family and friends are not deprived of a man they treasured.
Thank you
Copyright © 2004-2005 Jim & Kelley Smith
and J & K Ranch Kennels
All Rights Reserved
Revised: 06/30/10 01:33:41 -0400.