He was born June 25, 1927 in Tiffin, to Ruby and Rose E. (Uhlman) Smith. He married Rita Marie Michaels July 25, 1953 in St. Joseph Catholic Church, and she survives.
Other survivors include three sons, Gary L. Smith of Columbus, Daniel J. (Julia) Smith of Dublin, OH, John R. (Natalie) Smith of Kansas City, MO, and a daughter, Kathleen “Katie” (Keith) Borngesser of Brookfield, Wisc.; two sons-in-law, Allen Schultz and Robert A. Smith, both of Tiffin; nine grandsons and one granddaughter; and one sister, Joyce (Tom) Breidenbach of Tiffin.
He is preceded in death by his parents, a brother James Smith, a sister, Marie Smith, a son-in-law, Jay Martin, two daughters, Ann Marie (Martin) Schultz and Jane E. (Smith) Smith, and a daughter-in-law, Pamela (Swartz) Smith.
John was a 1945 graduate of Calvert High School. He served in the US Navy aboard the USS Iowa during World War II. He worked for over 20 years at General Electric Company, and later worked and retired from the US Postal Service. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, the Holy Name Society, and the Knights of Columbus
Visitation with the family will be 4 to 8 pm Thursday, April 12, 2012, at Traunero Funeral Home and Crematory, 214 S. Monroe Street, Tiffin, Ohio 44883 (419) 447-3113. There will be a wake service at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Prayers will be said at 9:30 am Friday, April 13, at the funeral home, followed by the funeral Mass at 10 am, at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Rev. Joseph Szybka officiating. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Joseph Church, Calvert Catholic Schools, or St. Francis Home, in care of the funeral home.