James Gordon Smith Sr.

James Gordon Smith, Sr., age 93, of Fairchance, PA, passed away on 14 January 2024 after a long struggle to recover from a stroke.

 Known to friends and family as Jim, he was born on August 27, 1930, to Kenneth Theodore and Charity Thompson Smith in the family home at 1 Ash St, Fairchance, PA. His mother, Charity Kathleen Thompson passed away in 1933 of Tuberculosis when he was but 2 ½ years old and for the next 5 years, was raised by his father, Kenneth T. Smith (1903-1981) a Pennsylvania Railroad employee, and his Aunt Thelma Smith Ford (1905-1990) until his father remarried Sylvia Hurd of Pittsburg, Pa. in 1938.

Mr. Smith grew up in Elizabeth, PA, by the Monongahela River, and graduated from Elizabeth High School in June 1949.However, he spent many a school holiday visiting his great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Gordon, his grandmother, Ola Gordon Thompson and Uncle Gordon Thompson in Fairchance.

 Jim, whose nickname was "Diego" in high school had a love for most sports, having played varsity football, basketball and baseball at Elizabeth High School. Mr. Smith’s early claim to fame was most probably taking part in the building of the Elizabeth Memorial Bridge in the summer of 1948, only barely escaping an early death when the coffer dam collapsed. News of the incident appeared in all the local newspapers at the time. Upon graduation from Elizabeth High School he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and attended basic training at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, Texas.

Thus began a 33-year military career, punctuated by civilian employment. His first assignment as a radar technician was to serve in the Korean War at a classified radar site near Misawa, northern Japan. After nearly two years of foreign duty, he was transferred (by ship in those days) back to the US Mainland and assigned to Pope Air Force Base, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where he met his future wife, Barbara Ann Trhlik, Airman 3rd Class, Women’s Air Force.

 Jim and Barbara were married on January 13, 1954 in Dillon, South Carolina and went on to have 3 children: James Gordon Jr. of Nottingham England, Ronald Joseph of Santa Ysabel, California, and Dawn Kathleen Smith of Baltimore MD.

 After Jim’s duty in Japan he re-enlisted to an assignment in Udine, Italy in order to train Italian Military personnel in Radar techniques followed by discharge from Active Duty in December 1956, where he and the budding family took up residence in Baltimore, MD. Jim served in the Air Force Reserves, out of O’Hare Airport, Chicago, IL,(1966-1969) and from 1970-1980, in the MD Air National Guard (ANG). In 1980 he switched over from the ANG to the Army National Guard (ARNG) on an Active Duty tour and retired from the Maryland ARNG in 1990 as Sergeant First Class rank (E7).

Mr. Smith, a Korean War veteran, had his name added to the Elizabeth Pennsylvania War Memorial in 2018 after a long campaign by his son, James G. Smith Jr. of Nottingham, England and has also been honoured as a war veteran in his birthplace of Fairchance, Pa. in recent years.

Jim’s civilian work included sales rep for Metropolitan Life and Traveler’s Insurance companies, Pepsi Cola bottling Co. as a driver, with his father-in-law, Christian Miller, a US Navy veteran, and a manager with Sarah Coventry Jewelry. He managed the Men’s Department for E.J. Korvettes department stores in Baltimore and Chicago from 1966-1976.

Amongst Mr. Smith’s many other civilian employments he was a manager for Patricia Steven's Modeling Agency in Baltimore in the 1950’s. During a family move to Chicago in the 1960’s he also managed the Accent Shop on 53rd Street  in Chicago’s Hyde Park. The Accent Shop was a high end ultra modern contemporary home furnishings store in Hyde Park which was frequented by stars of screen and stage.

In another venture, Jim became a bar owner in Baltimore’s Federal Hill section in the 1980's, The Cross Harbor Inn, also known locally as “J and J’s”. Mr. Smith also worked at Fink's Liquor Store part time in Baltimore’s Mt. Washington and just previous to his Army active duty he was appointed a manager for Schunick Caterers, often managing  the concession stand on a local  tourist boat, The Port Welcome, which made daily trips from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor to Annapolis as well as Lunch programmes for senior citizens.

 In retirement Jim worked into his 90’s in the home improvement sector as a painter and had a reputation as being excellent at his job.

An avid fitness enthusiast and runner into his 60s, Mr. Smith remained active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and Elizabeth High School Reunion Committee until he was 90.

Jim Sr. was often present at Baltimore Polytechnic, Baltimore's Northern High School and Loyola University Maryland Basketball and Lacrosse games in supporting his sons, Jimmy "Jumpshot" and Ronnie's respective sports teams during which he made many friends in the 1970's and beyond.

Two of Jim Sr.'s fondest memories were following the sporting exploits of his sons, Jim Jr. and Ronnie. He often recounted the Loyola Greyhounds Men's Basketball Championship run of 1973 in Salem, Virginia (Jimmy) and supporting Loyola Men's Lacrosse at Mount St. Mary's University, Emmitsburg, Md., when an infamous brawl broke out between the rival teams in 1977(Ronnie).

Mr. Smith once said his biggest success was the raising of his three children, Jimmy Jr., Ronnie and Dawn, who all received college educations and grew up to become independent responsible adults.

Jimmy Jr. stated, “Dad was a family man who enjoyed spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a kind and generous man and always gave everyone he met a smile and a big hello. You couldn’t have asked for a better Dad or more loyal friend. He was proud of serving his country in two armed forces and always gave 100% to his civilian and military employers. His love for his family was always evident and never in doubt and I was blessed to witness him making his peace with God before he died.”

Jim is survived by his 3 children previously named, 6 grandsons; Matthew, Andrew, James III, Joel, Samuel, and Eric, 3 granddaughters-in-law; Cassandra, Kymberly, and Elizabeth Smith, and 9 great-grandchildren; Tyler, Finn, James IV, Maya, William, Isabella, Lucy, Hannah and Kingston, as well as a sister, Sylvia Kathleen Smith Pizzi of Washington, Pa., cousins, nieces and nephews.

Mr. Smith requested that a military service accorded by General Marshall Amvets Post 103 Honor Guard be held at the graveside of his interment in the Gordon family plot in Maple Grove Cemetery in his hometown of Fairchance , Pa. to be arranged by the Whitmarsh Funeral Home, Fairchance, Pa. which will take place at 2pm on Saturday August 3, 2024.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to your preferred charity in honor of Jim’s life of service.

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