James Madison Smith, 86, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, September 4, 2009, after a brief illness.
A resident of Silsbee, Texas, for forty-two years, Jim was born December 30, 1922, in Tuskegee, Alabama to Matt and Birdie Smith. He moved to Auburn, Alabama where he graduated from Auburn High School in 1939. Jim then attended his beloved Auburn University where he graduated in 1942 at the age of twenty with a BS degree in chemical engineering. He then enlisted in the United States Army to serve his country in World War II. He was stationed in Hawaii during the war and rose to the rank of first sergeant. Upon the end of the war, he returned to Auburn and received his masters degree in chemical engineering. While still in college, he met the love of his life, Dorothy Smith. Their first date was the night he graduated from college and they married four years later on April 27, 1946.
Jim began his career as a chemical engineer with International Paper Company in Mobile, Alabama. After being transferred to Bastrop, Louisiana for three years, he accepted a job at Eastex Paper Company in Evadale, a move that brought him to Southeast Texas. He worked for Eastex for 19 years as a supervisor, retiring in 1986. Retirement gave Jim more time to pursue the things he loved; actually, the things he was passionate about.
He was passionate about sports and attended every sporting event he could, often traveling hours to watch a game, especially if his grandchildren were playing. When his grandchildren were no longer involved, he still followed high school sports, even working in the Silsbee High School Booster Club long after his grandchildren had graduated. However, he was most passionate about his Auburn Tigers. Anyone who knew him longer than a few minutes knew that he was their number one fan. His passion for sports carried over to the Houston Astros, and in the latter years of his life, he watched or listened to almost every game.
But Jim was also passionate about things far more important than sports, or even his beloved Auburn Tigers. He was passionate about his family, his Sunday School class at First Baptist Church of Silsbee, his Texercise group, his church family, and life, in general. He was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. A person who lived life to the fullest every single day, he opened his heart to strangers and to the needs of others. He was generous with everything he had and a man not at all afraid to show the emotions that permeated his life. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family.
Jim is survived by his wonderful wife, Dorothy Smith, daughters Sharyn Grisham and husband Ronald of Silsbee and Susan Henry and husband Rodney of Longview. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Tommy Tatum and wife Amy of Longview, Bryan Tatum of Silsbee, Jayme Grisham of Beaumont, Justin Henry and wife Johanna of Dallas and Kevin Henry and wife Katie of Fort Worth. He was also very proud of his eight great grandchildren, Ryan, Lindsay and Haley Tatum; Brittany, Cade and Mallory Tatum and Katelyn and Lauryn Malone.
Visitation will be held at R S Farmer Funeral Home on Saturday, September 5, 2009 from 5 pm until 7 pm. Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church of Silsbee at 2:00 pm on Sunday, September 6, 2009, with interment to follow at R S Farmer Memorial Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Jason Fuller, David Bradshaw, Pat Hardy, Jimmy Hayes, Jim Willis and Bill Huggins.
The family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church of Silsbee, 350 Hwy 92 S, Silsbee, Tx 77656.
