Jay Leroy SMITH

SMITH, LARSON, MCHALE, GOTTSCHALK, RHAMES

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:45

October 25, 1956 ---- November 13, 2017

Jay L. Smith, 61, of Belmond, IA, died, unexpectedly, Monday, November 13, 2017, at his home in Belmond, IA, of natural causes. Services will be 1:30 PM, Wednesday, November 22, 2017, at Andrews Funeral Home, 516 1st Street S.E., Belmond, IA. Reverend Leila Blackburn will be officiating. Burial will be in the Belmond Cemetery. Friends may call one hour prior to the services at funeral home Wednesday.

Jay Leroy Smith, was born October 25, 1956, at Iowa Falls, IA. He was proudly adopted in infancy by Elmer and Vera (Larson) Smith. Initially he and his family resided on a farm north of Belmond where he and his sister Laurie were raised for a number of years. The family eventually moved to a farm west of Goodell, IA, where Jay and his sister enjoyed growing up with many special friends. Jay was baptized as a child in the United Methodist Church. In his school years he was active in wrestling and also spent many years working along side Elmer on the farm. Jay and his family looked for to many family vacations to the mountains out west, Canada, an other places. Jay truly loved the outdoors and all that nature had to offer. He graduated from Belmond High School in the class of 1974.

He was united in marriage to Janyce McHale of Clarion, IA, for 10 years. The couple's union brought a daughter into the world.

Jay had been employed in a variety of occupations during his life time in addition to farming with his father. In his married years living in Rochester, Jay drove shuttle bus between the hospitals and clinics. Upon returning to Belmond following his divorce he drove for Speedy Delivery, was employed at Klemme Co-op and farmed for Gene and Larry Pals. For the past several years he was employed farming for Tom Burk of Goodell. Jay had also been living with and caring for his father Elmer for many years prior to Elmer's passing in 2011.

Jay had a close knit circle of friends that he truly appreciated the camaraderie of and really enjoyed spending time with them and especially looked forward to their invitations at the holidays and an occasional vacation outing with them. Jay enjoyed the freedoms of the road on his motorcycle and was a past member the Gold Wing Club. His love of the outdoors carried through in his passions for coyote, fox and waterfowl hunting. Jay loved to collect guns and was an avid Miami Dolphins fan. He enjoyed the simple pleasures of life such as early morning coffee and conversations with his buddies.

Those who knew Jay well will remember his unique personality traits, innate wit, stubbornness and always full of little bit of the dickens, all wrapped up into one.

Jay is survived by his sister Laurie Gottschalk, Ames, IA; a nephew Guy (Tiffany Rhames) and their son Ulrich Gottschalk (6 Months) Grimes, IA; and a niece Carrie Gottschalk, Denver, CO; as well as many special friends. He was preceded in death by his parents. Andrews Funeral Home, Belmond, IA.

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