James Earlie Smith, Jr.

Mr. James Earlie Smith, Jr. was born to James Earlie Smith and Ms. Dorothy Brown on November 25, 1945 in Petersburg, Virginia. On May 17, 1986, he married the love of his life, Dr. Joanne Hamlin Smith and they travelled the world seeing many sites and places.

James attended high school in Petersburg and entered the Army right after high school. He gathered credits from various universities and was able to obtain a Bachelor degree in both Finance and Accounting from Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.

He served in the Army for over 20 years and retired as a Sergeant First Class. He worked as a Finance and Accounting Specialist and while in the Army received the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Commendation Medal with 1st Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Services Ribbon, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), Overseas Service Ribbon “1”, NCO Professional Development Ribbon “I”, Sharpshooter (M-16 Rifle), and the Meritorious Service Medal.

After retirement from the Army, James worked as a Bank Examiner for the FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. After retiring from being a bank examiner, James started his own consulting business, Smith Financial, helping some of the Divine 9 sororities and fraternities with their audits. James was a devoted Life Member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated for many years and served as President and Treasurer of the Beta Beta Sigma Chapter. He served as Treasurer of the Gulf Coast Region of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and received the Gulf Coast Region’s Distinguished Service Chapter Award.

In San Antonio, he served on the Martin Luther King Commission, the San Antonio Auditors Association, and sang with the San Antonio Choral Society for many years. James accepted Christ as his Personal Savior and was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church. At Trinity, he sang in the church choir.

James is preceded in death by his father and mother, stepmother, Thelma Smith, and his brother, Edward Smith. He leaves to cherish his memories, his wife, Dr. Joanne H. Smith, his brother, Bobby Lee Smith, stepsister, Nelly Tucker Ronald Hamlin (Shirley), brother-in-law, Rev. Robert Elton Hamlin (Brenda), brother-in-law, Ms. Bonnie Hamlin, sister-in-law, James L. Smith (Teryl), first cousin, and many nephews, nieces, great nephews, great nieces, other relatives, many wonderful sorority and fraternity members and a large host of friends.

The family will receive friends from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, Thursday, September 21, 2023, at Porter Loring Mortuary North.

FUNERAL SERVICEFRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 202311:00 AMTRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH6800 WURZBACH ROAD

Interment with Military Honors will follow in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery

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