Jerry Ray Smith

Jerry Ray Smith passed away in El Paso, Texas on August 4, 2022 at the age of 86. Born on June 12, 1936 in Farmersville, Texas, Jerry was one of seven children.

In 1950, the family moved to El Paso where he attended El Paso High School, graduating in 1954. As a teen, he worked as an usher at the Plaza Theatre, where he discovered a passion for movies that he would carry with him all his life. Movies – especially Westerns – country music, and sports would be lifelong interests.

1955 was a hallmark year for Jerry. He entered the Electrical Trade Apprenticeship Program at the age of 19 and never looked back – going on to teach many an apprentice how to be a good man as well as a good electrician.

That same year, he proposed to the love of his life -- Anna Christina Barone -- on August 19, her birthday. From the first moment he saw her, he was smitten. He told his mother that was the girl he was going to marry!

Chris remembers that she was on a date with another fella when a car came roaring up and a tall, lanky guy got out. He grabbed a Dr. Pepper out of the cooler, popped the cap and guzzled it straight down. She was more than a little impressed!

Jerry and Chris were married on November 28, 1956 – a marriage that would endure for 65 years.

During that time, Jerry worked hard. Over the years, he founded several companies, including Metro-Com, a company that still exists to this day.

In his spare time, Jerry coached girls’ softball and boys’ basketball, winning several championships. But most importantly, he and Chris raised their two children, Debbie and Chuck.

Chuck remembers:

“Dad was the hardest worker I know, and one of the tougher mentors you could ever have. But in the process, you learned so much from him. He was always thinking ahead, planning the best way to do something – whether it was drawing a near perfect sketch on a napkin at breakfast or finding the most economical way to tackle a job with the least amount of effort. These things came easy to him. He knew how to motivate people to tackle something that wasn’t easy or fun.

“I remember the positive effect he had on kids he coached. It was the 1970s – when character, honesty and determination still counted for a lot. He always enjoyed coaching, just like he always enjoyed teaching young people.

“When I started calling people to let them know he had passed, more than a few people broke down in tears – he meant that much to them. He probably never really knew the effect he had on peoples’ lives, but I think it would make him happy to know he made a difference!”

Debbie remembers:

“Dad was a devoted family man and a loving father. He supported us in all our activities. He coached my softball team, attended every band concert and football game. I liked to believe he was there to see the band march at half time, but he was probably more interested in the football game. He even went to parent-teacher nights. Every school event we had there would be dad with his Polaroid camera and me, being the sassy little teenager that I was, would be caught on film rolling my eyes. None of the other dads were running around taking pictures. I’m grateful for those pictures now. I will miss him every day of my life.”

His granddaughters remember:

“Papa was a wonderful grandfather and we have so many warm and treasured memories of him. As kids, there was no better getaway than going to Nana and Papa’s house (you know, to get away from the day-to-day grind of dealing with our parents). He truly had a way of making us feel at ease. Thank you for showing up for soccer games, taking us on day trips, going to the zoo repeatedly in hopes that they had opened the bear exhibit, and just making us feel loved.”

Jerry and his brother James shared a passion for college and pro football and could spend hours talking about their favorite teams. But when his granddaughters started playing soccer, he immersed himself in the sport and became a diehard fan, regularly attending their games – both home and away!

In later years, he and Chris drove across the country visiting their extended families every summer. Everyone has stories about Jerry’s gift of gab. He loved to chat with everyone – from kids to relatives – he was always sharing stories and reminiscences. And he loved to debate just about anything – like who would be more likely to win a head-to-head – a rhino or a hippo??? Or which route was the fastest way to get from Point A to Point B?

After he and Chris retired, Jerry loved to watch classic movies from the 1930s and 1940s. He looked up bios on his favorite movie stars and was endlessly fascinated by their lives and accomplishments. He had a particular fondness for Westerns, so he and Chris watched plenty of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Hopalong Cassidy over the years. He lent his nephew Bryon a stack of movies to watch and then talked to him for hours about his reactions to them.

When Chuck introduced Jerry to YouTube, a whole new world opened up to him. He became a big YouTube fan – watching videos of his favorite Country and Western singers, or highlight reels of his favorite sports teams. During the pro golf season, he’d always call Chuck after a major to talk about fabulous shots and missed opportunities.

In the past several years, following hip replacement surgery and a tough recovery, Jerry discovered a new purpose in life: taking care of his wife, Chris. He learned how to cook and often called his sister Peggy and his niece Darla for recipes and cooking tips. In fact, he took great pride in helping fix holiday meals. Making meatballs for Chris’ famous spaghetti and meatball dinner was one of his crowning achievements!

In the end, in his final days at home, he was able to spend some time with his grandson, Ryan. It meant a lot to him to have his son and grandson fix a chair – with him supervising – one last time.

On August 4, 2022, Jerry passed away. He is survived by his loving wife, Anna Christina; his daughter, Debra Zarret (Edward Zarret); his son, Charles Smith (Christine Koyama); his twin sister, Peggy Faye Smith Bowen; his granddaughters Alexis (Eric Seo) and Danielle (Anthony McGlone); and his grandson Ryan Smith. A romantic at heart, who genuinely loved his family and was proud of all their accomplishments, Jerry will be missed by family and friends alike. Adios!

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The immediate family wishes to extend its thanks to everyone in their extended families as well as friends who have offered their condolences. We know you share our loss and appreciate your heartfelt expressions of love and the many memories we all have of Jerry.

Services will be held at Hillcrest Funeral Home (1060 North Carolina Drive) on Saturday, August 27. Visitation at noon; Service at 1 pm; Condolences at 2 pm