John E. Smith

Johnnie Edward Smith was born on Christmas day 1939 to Georgia and Solomon Smith in Eudora, AR. He was raised in the segregated south of Pine Bluff, AR and overcame many obstacles to become personally and professionally successful.

Our father was a big man with a big heart. He had love for God, his family, his alma mater Agricultural Mechanical & Normal College (AM&N)/University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), his church All Saints United Methodist Church and his hometown of Pine Bluff.

He spent his formative years roaming the campus of AM&N where his mother attended school and went on to become a school teacher. Grandmother instilled in him the importance of an education.

Daddy, graduated with a double major in math and chemistry in 1961. He legally changed his name to John Edward Smith after graduation. He worked briefly as a high school math teacher in St. Louis, MO while at the same time pursuing a graduate degree in mathematics at St. Louis University. He married, moved to New Jersey and obtained his master’s degree from Rutgers University. Shortly after graduation, he accepted a position with J.P. Morgan as a Portfolio Manager for almost 20 years. After enjoying several years of professional success as an investment banker, he left J.P. Morgan and joined U.S. Tobacco, Co. (UST) in 1984. He held various executive positions with UST until he retired in 1996.

Daddy enjoyed spending time with family and friends and playing golf. He thoroughly enjoyed and looked forward to his Merrill High School class reunions and UAPB homecomings. Raleigh, NC became his new hometown in 2005. He built a home and moved into Brier Creek and remained there until his death, November 22, 2018.

He leaves to mourn a host of relatives and friends, including his son, Stephen Smith (Morris Plains, NJ), daughter, Gail Smith (Elkridge, MD) sister, Charlene Smith-Gaines (Pine Bluff, AR), nephew, Cedric Burl (Pine Bluff, AR), niece Lisa Gaines-Smith (Cleveland, OH), two great nieces and one great nephew (Cleveland, OH).

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, November 30th at 10 am at the All Saints United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. A second memorial service will be held on Friday, December 14th, 2018 at 2 pm at the PK Miller Mortuary in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Memorial Donations in John's memory may be made to the All Saints United Methodist Church or to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Vesper Choir (please select Donation Designation: Other and Designation or Special Request Instructions: Vesper Choir / John Smith).