Jason Gary Smith

Jason Gary Smith, age 41, of Torrance, California, passed away on Saturday, July 17, 2021, after a brief illness. Jason was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois on August 19, 1979, an only son to Suzanne and Gary Smith. He grew up in Arlington Heights and graduated from Hersey high school in 1997. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering at Purdue University in 2001. Right after graduation, he accepted a job as a software engineer at Boeing, El Segundo, California and never left the company since then. Jason relocated to Culver City, California in 2001 and then moved to Torrance in 2003.

Jason met his wife, Dung (Young) Phan in 2007 when she had just started her career as a software engineer at Boeing for a month. Young’s office was not setup so she was assigned to use Jason’s office and computer while he was taking a two month vacation. Young believed it indicated that her destiny was to share things with Jason. Young was attracted to Jason’s shyness. She said Jason turned red whenever she talked to him which made her feel very special. They started dating in 2008 and were married in 2010.

Jason liked to play with remote control cars when he was a child. When he got older, inspired by his parents, he got into skiing and heavy metal music. He took several ski trips with his parents and attended as many concerts as he could. His favorite band was Metallica. He also liked watching sports especially football. After married, he enjoyed cooking and watching Food Network shows together with his wife.

Jason was a man of few words but significant action. He always wanted to do his best for his parents and his wife. Jason was remembered by his colleagues as the “Go-to-man”. He took things seriously and was very responsible. His warmth, intelligence, caring nature and gentle demeanor are what set him apart from others.

Jason will be missed greatly by those who had the privilege of knowing him.

Jason is survived by his parents, Suzanne and Gary, and wife, Young.