John R. Smith

John R. Smith, 81, of Woodcrest Villa, Lancaster, formerly of North President Avenue, Lancaster, died on Thursday, July 16, 2015, at Lancaster General Hospital. Born in Norwalk, Ohio, he was the son of the late Don C. Smith and Olive Stoll Smith. He was married 30 years to Barbara B. Smith. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Richard and Donald. John was the last of his immediate family. He was a lifelong Catholic. John graduated from St. Paul High School in Norwalk, Ohio, in 1951. In 1955 he graduated, cum laude, from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. At that time he was commissioned an officer in the US Army Transportation Corps and served two years as Area Transportation Officer in Hanau, Germany. While in Germany he met and married an American school teacher, the late Maureen Patton, from Springfield, Illinois. They had six children. After his return to the United States in 1958 John joined his brother Don in forming a construction company that built houses and apartment units in the Toledo, Ohio area. In 1967 John accepted a position with the Defiance College, Defiance, Ohio, as Director of Physical Plant. His last move, in 1974, was to join the administration at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. That was the time of the beginning of the renaissance of College Facilities. John served as Director of Facilities and Operations. His last major project was design and construction of the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center. John’s professional membership included a 40-year member in the National Association of Physical Plant Administrators, the Eastern Region Association, and the Delaware Valley Association. Locally John served on the Board of the YMCA, chairing the Camp Shand Committee, and the Board of the North Museum, chairing the Facility Committee. After his retirement John stayed involved in his profession as an education facility consultant. John’s interests included gardening, watching sports on television, especially Notre Dame and Ohio State. Another favorite was college basketball, F&M in particular. John missed 4 home games over a 40-year period. However the thing John looked forward to the most was a week’s trip to North Bethany Beach with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. In addition to his wife, Barbara, John is survived by his children Denise Gerdeman of Canton, Ohio; Stacy Brinkley of Richmond, Virginia; Julie Guerin, Lancaster; Matthew Smith, Lancaster; Todd Smith; Lancaster, and Martin Smith, Ardmore, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren: Megan, Lindsay, Joey, Maguire, Archer, Sumner, James Brett, Allie, Grace and Bridget and five great grandchildren: Emily, Aiden, Neil, Sophia and Landon. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2015 in the Chapel in the Old Main on the campus of Franklin and Marshall College at 11:00 a.m. There will be a greeting prior to the service in the Old Main Conference Room from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service. Please omit flowers. Contributions in John’s name may be made to Woodcrest Villa, 2001 Harrisburg Pike, Lancaster, PA 17601 or John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd., University Heights, Ohio 44118.

John R. Smith

July 17, 2015