Stephen Edward Mercil Smith

Steve was born June 1, 1945, in Oak Park, Illinois, and passed away May 20, 2023. He grew up in Chicago where he attended Oak Park High School. A member of both the football and swim teams, he excelled at swimming and subsequently attended Bellarmine College in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1960’s. He loved inventing new products and holds several patents. He was a member of the District Export Council and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). He is survived by his wife, Katherine Smith, and his son, Cody Smith, his sisters Sue Wayne (Mal Wayne), Kathy Stern (Jack Ritter), and Cindy Starzyk (Ken Starzyk), eleven nieces and nephews, and thirteen grandnieces and grandnephews.

He was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend who will be deeply missed by all. His sense of humor was surpassed only by his work ethic. Tenacious is a word that best described Steve. Once he set his mind to a task, nothing got in the way of accomplishing his goal. Proof of this tenacity is the manufacturing company he founded in a stable in 1994, which is still operating today, although now in a dedicated facility with no horses around.

His love of and affection toward animals was extraordinary. While residing in Illinois, he was an avid foxhunter, but after moving to Louisiana, he took up show jumping with his beloved horse Bubba that he brought with him from Illinois.

His business travels reached numerous parts of the world, but his annual vacation trips to Northern Wisconsin were among his favorite sojourns, reminding him of vacations with his family.

His epitaph reads: He loved business, family, friends, dogs, fast horses, boats, and cars. He tolerated cats.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Celebration of Life at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Ponchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, Louisiana on Wednesday, July 12, 2023 at 1:00pm. Visitation will begin at 11:00 am. The interment will follow at 2:00pm inside of All Saints Mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery.