Jan L. Overton Smith

Jan Overton Smith, 67, of Olathe, KS passed away December 2, 2015 at Shawnee Mission Medical center. Visitation will be from 9:00-11:00 a.m. followed by funeral service at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 12, at Bethel AME Church, 2329 Flora Avenue, Kansas City, MO. Burial in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, 10507 Holmes Rd.

She was born to Viola (Tyree) Overton and William Melvin Overton on March 15, 1948 in Philadelphia, PA. Jan was an only and a busy child. She was always very inquisitive, which kept her in trouble with her mom. Her father passed when she was a year old. However, her mother remarried when Jan was 12 years old and she adored her step-father, John Lisben. She was raised in Kansas City, MO where she attended Attucks and D.A. Holmes Elementary, Central Junior High and graduated from Central High school.

In June of 1974, she completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Lincoln University, Jefferson City, MO and was 9 hours shy of her Master’s in Business Administration.

Jan studied piano at the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City, MO and always had a love for music.

One of Jan’s greatest joys was the birth of her son, Shawn William Overton. She always felt so very blessed that God gave her such a wonderful, loving child. He was her closest confidant.

On March 26, 1976, Jan married her soul mate, Reverend Mark A. Smith, Sr. and together their blended family included Josine and Mark Jr.

Jan began her employment during high school and each summer work through the Urban League’s summer program as well as St. Luke’s Hospital as a Candy Striper Volunteer.

After graduation from college, Jan was immediately employed with Lincoln University as a Financial Aid Advisor; later becoming a Financial Aid Consultant with the University of Missouri-Columbia. She conducted many workshops, travelled throughout many cities, meeting with teachers, students and parents whom she thoroughly enjoyed; never meeting any strangers.

She later was employed with John Deere, Black & Veatch, Terracon Consultants and the City of Olathe’s office of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity. If additional training on the job was offered, Jan was one of the first to sign up. Jan was bestowed with numerous accolades, certificates and awards.

During her infancy and youth, Jan attended Mason Memorial and Centennial United Methodist churches, where her grandfather, Reverend H. L. Overton pastored and her grandmother, Mrs. Dorothy Overton was his devoted helpmate. She later joined St. Augustine Episcopal Church and finally became a member of the African American Church, where she enjoyed partnering and serving with her husband at Wayman Chapel-Fort Scott, Ks; Ebenezer-St. Joseph, MO; St. Paul-Kansas City, KS; Bethel-Leavenworth, KS; St. Paul-Wichita, KS; Brookins-Oakland, CA; and Allen Chapel-Kansas City, MO.

Jan was a very active in the church, supporting all auxiliaries and working with choirs, youth, food ministries and women’s missionary society; embracing many offices from local district.

Throughout Jan’s health challenges, she learned a very valuable lesson from her mother- “you will know who your friends are when you are down, and don’t be down for too long.” She wholeheartedly believed and shared with many; that God created us; knew the journey we would take on this side of the Jordan and had made us strong enough to travel the journey and that HE had promised to never leave or forsake us; so why would HE do so while on his journey. She thanks with adoration her beloved family, who were always there; her best friends, JoAnn Semien , Fredericka Agnew, Lola McLaurian, Marcy Garmon, Thelma & Rhonda Cunningham, Carol Young, Shyanne Reese, Octavia Simein, Mae Frances Jackson, Ruby Blunt Taylor, Michelle Howard, Dezi Woods- Jones, Faye Combs, Brookins family and Allen Chapel family.

Jan leaved to cherish her memories and her humorous nature- her husband, Reverend Mark A. Smith Sr. thanks love, for making me smile, even when I didn’t feel it; her son, Shawn William Overton, (Trena); son, Mark Smith, Jr. (Tiffany); daughter, Josine Guest; grandson’s Vaughn an Jeighlon; her mother-in-law Sylvia Sharp; sister-in-law and her husband, LaVeeta Romeo (Russell); sister-in-law Jolanda Dotson; brother-in-law and his wife, LeRoy Cunningham (Fanny); her nephews and nieces as well as many other relatives and beloved friends and associates.