Gary E. Smith

He was born April 27, 1942 in Rushville, IL to Hall and Nola Grace (Spivey) Smith. He married Mary Ann Schelkopf on July 30, 1966 at St Joseph Catholic Church in Brimfield. She survives along with one daughter, Teresa Smith and her husband David Pittman of West Peoria, one granddaughter, Annelyse Smith of Denver, CO, and one sister, Carolyn (Clifford) Gray of Missouri.

He was preceded in death by his parents, one son, Andrew Smith, two sisters: Sue Pille, Joyce Edwards, and one brother, Hampton Smith.

Gary graduated from Brimfield High School in 1960. He was a Paratrooper in the United States Army serving from 1960 to 1963.

He was a Machine Repairman at Caterpillar where he retired after 30 years. As a retiree, he worked for the Uftring Auto Mall for several years and as a volunteer at Wildlife Prairie Park as Train Engineer for 11 years.

The family would like to thank the Richard L. Owens Hospice Home for their care and compassion for Gary. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was definitely “one of a kind”.

Visitation will be Wednesday, March 29, 2023 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Davison-Fulton Woodland Chapel in Peoria. Funeral services will be Thursday, March 30, at 11 a.m. El Vista Baptist Church in Peoria. Additional visitation will be one hour prior to the services on Thursday at the church.

Entombment will be in Resurrection Mausoleum in Peoria with Military Honors following the services.

Memorials may be given to his church, El Vista Baptist Church https://www.givelify.com/donate/el-vista-baptist-church-peoria-il-2j7wy5NjQzNzQ=/donation/amount or Wildlife Prairie Park https://sales.wildlifeprairiepark.org/donation.aspx