Jack Wilson Smith

Jack Wilson Smith passed away on January 15, 2021. There will be a brief Visitation with his family at Adams Funeral Home in Marlin from 12 to 1 pm on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 followed by a Celebration of His Life at the First United Methodist Church of Marlin at 2:00 pm with Pastor Kirk Freeman officiating.

Jack was born on August 29th, 1943 to Dr. Walter Scott and Mary Elizabeth Smith in Sherman, Texas. He attended Marlin schools and graduated from Marlin High School in 1961.

He graduated from the University of Texas in 1967. He then served in the Army as an Infantry Officer and was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam.

He married Vicki Sheehy in December of 1966 in Waco, Texas.

Jack was a great public speaker and enjoyed hosting and emceeing programs and events for friends and organizations around the state. In the 80s, he was a co-host on a local TV news show, PM Magazine, and a co-host on the morning radio show, J&J In The Morning on KLMT in Marlin. More recently, he hosted the Rotary high school quiz show Challenge.

He was a member of the Rotary Club for 30 years and boasted over 25 years of perfect attendance throughout his association with the Marlin and Waco clubs. He presented his take on the “news of the week” to the Waco club for many years. He served as President of both the Marlin and Waco Clubs.

He was a member of the Waco Executive Club enjoying treasured friendships with all of its members. Jack was always involved in his community through various civic and charitable work and especially enjoyed politics. He chaired the Falls County Republican Party for years. When he started in 1976, the “convention” consisted of him and one other person in his living room at home.

Jack was a lifelong member of the Marlin Presbyterian Church where he served as elder and deacon and sang in the choir. After the closure of the Marlin church, he attended the Lott Presbyterian Church.

After retiring from WordSmith Advertising, Jack was appointed to serve as a Justice of the Peace for Falls County. He also wrote monthly columns for the Wacoan magazine for two decades called Random Thoughts While Driving in Waco where he made the mundane entertaining.

He was known for his wit and made all those around him laugh on a daily basis. There was literally no topic that he could not make humorous. He was a talented writer. He loved all Texas Longhorn sports and was known to go a bit overboard with his enthusiasm for the Longhorns.

Friends joked with him that salt was his only bad habit. Jack was a faithful Christian and was dedicated to his family. All who knew him will miss the laughter that he brought to their lives.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his aunts Mary Catherine Smith, Eleanor Blanks and Caroline Braun.

He is survived by Vicki, his wife of 54 years; his three daughters, Sarah Williams and husband Ted of Frisco, Claire Copeland of Frisco, and Lauren Whelan and husband Matt, of Austin; his brother, Ret. U.S. District Judge Walter Smith Jr., sister-n-law, Kay Callen Smith of Waco; his five grandchildren: Caroline and Jack Copeland, John Matthew, Connor and Luke Whelan; and nieces and nephews.

Honorary pallbearers will be Joe Allen, Everett Anchutz, Harry Kenny, Scott Lawrence, Phillip Meuse, and Charles Wolda

Pallbearers will be his sons-in-law Ted Williams, Gavin Copeland and Matt Whelan, grandsons Jack Copeland, John Matthew Whelan, Connor Whelan, and Luke Whelan, and his nephew Tom Dotter