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Smith, Jack L.

August 20, 1933 –
 December 5, 2014

Obituary

A loving husband, wonderful father and grandfather, brother and caring friend went to be with our Lord on December 5, 2014 following an automobile accident.  He was born in Tool, Texas on August 20, 1933 and lived his life in Texas. Jack shared 56 years of a loving and fun marriage with Gipsy Richardson Smith, who preceded him in death in 2012.

He was always happy when spending time with his family. He was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church and was active in the Wesleyan Fellowship Class, We Care Ministry and other areas of the church. After graduation from college in 1955, Jack began his career in insurance.  In 1972 he went into business as a Fire and Casualty Insurance Agent in Tyler, Texas. Jack was a gifted pianist with a unique manner of playing the piano.  He played regularly as a volunteer in several retirement homes up until his death.

While living in Tyler, he served on the Board and as President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas, the Administrative Board of Marvin United Methodist Church, the Board of Camp Fire Girls, the Board of Camp Tyler, the original Board of Crime Stoppers, the Board of Parents Anonymous and the Advisory Board of Tyler Museum of Art. Everyone who knew Jack knew what a loyal Texas Longhorn football fan he was, always cheering for the Longhorns and attending games.  He had not missed attending the Texas-OU game in 60 years, always attending with his college roommate, Jerry Irons.  A story chronicling their friendship and dedication to the annual game appeared in The Dallas Morning News in 2003. Jack will be remembered for his very generous and giving nature, wonderful sense of humor and his caring for his fellow man, as well as his piano playing and love of the Longhorns.

He loved visiting with people, even strangers, good food, especially desserts, fine antiques, laughing, traveling anyplace, especially England and the Texas Hill Country with Gipsy.

He felt his life was blessed by, and he is survived by son, Greg Smith, son and daughter-in-law Brad and Paula Smith; grandchildren Brittany Smith, Nathan Smith, Benjamin Smith and Claire Frances Smith.  Also siblings Jim Ray Smith, Pat Smith, Frances Smith Monroe, Lometa Smith Johnson and Betty Jean Smith Rogers Rogers, as well as the loving members of his in-law family The Reverend John and Pam Richardson and Diane Wells. He was preceded in death by his wife Gipsy Richardson Smith, mother Eula Peavy Smith, father Frank Leroy Smith and siblings, Frank Bruce Smith, Orville Smith, Annie Loree Smith and Mary Nell Smith Skiles.

A memorial celebrating Jack’s life will be held at Wednesday, December 10, at 1:00 PM at Highland Park United Methodist Church, Dallas, TX. The world is a better placed because he lived. Memorials may be made to Weslayan Fellowship Class Benevolence Fund at Highland Park United Methodist Church, or Marvin United Methodist Church, Tyler Texas or the charity of your choice.

 

Arrangements are under the direction of:
ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home
19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252
214) 306-6700

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Testimonials

R. Driver
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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

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