On Aug. 14, 2023, we said goodbye to John Gordon Smith.
John was born Nov. 23, 1954, to Jesse and Gladys Smith née Cates. John was the youngest of seven and grew up in Napavine and Adna, graduating from Adna high school in 1973.
After graduating, John began a career in printing, working as a pressman and prepress technician at Bank Check Supply in Centralia and later at the Washington State Department of Printing in Tumwater.
On Oct. 16, 1976, John married the love of his life, Jan Stacy, of Chehalis. In their 46 years of marriage, they had two children, Jesse and Wyatt, and cultivated a family built on love and understanding. When Jesse and Wyatt were growing up, it was important to John to always be there so he made a point of adjusting his work schedule so he could be home when the kids got home from school.
John lived for having experiences. He and Jan went to plenty of concerts, he loved to ride his Harley Davidson on sunny days, and he loved trying new restaurants (if you knew him you probably saw plenty of photos of his dinners over the years).
He also loved just hanging out with his family and his friends. He had his group of friends that he’d meet up with at the Market Street Pub, and they’d spend an hour or two having drinks and sharing stories and chatting about everyday life. And even toward the end when he was no longer able to make it down there, he’d call in beer orders for his friends to show that even though he wasn’t physically there, he was there with them in spirit.
Maybe it’s cliché, but there’s a lesson there. Even though he’s no longer with us, he’ll always be here with us in spirit. Whenever you hear the sound of a Harley, any time you have a meal that’s just so good you have to take a picture of it, or any time you go out for a beer on a sunny day (or any day for that matter), know that he’s right there with you.
John was preceded in death by his parents, Jesse and Gladys; his in-laws, Dick and Maxine Stacy; his brothers, Ron, Rod and Lloyd; and his sister, Linda.
He is survived by his wife, Jan; his sons, Jesse and Wyatt; his daughter-in-law, Taylor; his sister, Gloria; his brother, Jim, and his wife, Cindy; his sisters-in-law, Candi and Becky, and their husbands, Doug and Dan; as well as by his nieces, nephews and everyone whose life he touched.
A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at 122 Mohoric Road, Chehalis, WA 98532.
