James L. Smith

He leaves his wife of 48 years, Mary Jo (Schnieders) Smith; his son, James Smith Jr.; his daughter, Kelly (Smith) Young; four grandchildren; his sisters, Lavinia, Janet (his twin), and Suzanne and his brothers, Raymond, Robert, and Michael, as well as many close friends.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on June 26, 1938, he and his family moved to Plano, Texas, in 1965.

The title “Entrepreneur” was never more fitting for an individual. After serving in the US Navy, Mr. Smith worked in radio and cable television. He founded Cableguard, a pioneer in the home security business and took it public in 1983. After selling Cableguard, Mr. Smith began a new phase in his professional career which included owning and operating a successful barbecue restaurant in downtown Dallas, and then, in 1999, he founded, Smokin’ Tex, an electric smoker company. He and his smokers were featured on the Today show in 2003. Mr. Smith had a talent for cooking and a larger than life personality. The lives of all who knew him were made better because of who he was and how he lived his life. His kindness and generosity were unparalleled.

More than anything else, Mr. Smith loved his family dearly and they were his true passion. When you die your marker has the date of your birth and the day you passed engraved on it. But what is most important is the dash in the middle -- it is what you do with your life that counts and Jim lived his life to the fullest. He was the embodiment of the saying, “It’s not whether you can survive the storm, but rather whether you can dance in the rain.” He did.

A visitation will take place at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Plano, Texas, on Thursday June 24, 2010, from 7 – 9 p.m. – beginning with a prayer vigil at 7. The funeral service will occur on Friday June 25, 2010, at 10:30 a.m., also at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Plano, Texas. There will be a lunch reception at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton immediately following the funeral Mass.