Gerald J. Smith, 73, Enjoyed Boating and Swimming

He was born in Lorain on June 29, 1931 and had been a life-long resident of the city.

He was a graduate of Lorain High School as a member of the Class of 1949-B and had served on several class reunion committees since leaving the school. While still in school, Jerry and his brother were delivery boys for the Lorain Journal building and maintaining one of the largest newspaper routes in the city.

He served as a veteran of the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict as a member of the Naval Amphibious Corps.

Mr. Smith had been employed as detail scheduler in the Production Planning Department of U.S. Steel’s Lorain Works for thirty-eight years. Following his retirement from the steel producer, he was employed on a part-time basis as a wedding photographer for Gargus Studio for twenty years. In his early years he was an accomplished accordion player and was a member of a combo that performed at a variety of area supper clubs.

He enjoyed boating and swimming with his family and especially his grandchildren. He also enjoyed working with wood where he completed many projects in and around his home. He was an avid World War II history buff and enjoyed the Looney Tunes comedies on television. He was formerly active with the Admiral King Band Parents’ organization and was a member of the United Polish Club, Pulaski Post # 38 of the Polish Legion of American Veterans, and was a social member of Italian-American Post # 1 in Lorain.

He was an active parishioner of the Catholic Church of Saint Peter and was one of four chairpersons in the early 1980’s to restart Saint Peter’s annual Sunday picnic with a live polka band. This later evolved into the annual three-day parish festival that is observed the first weekend in August every year. He had also served the parish as an Eucharistic Minister, collection counter, adult server, R.C.I.A. Team member, as well as maintaining a seat on the parish council. He was also a Holy Name Society member and was a participant in the New Life Prayer Group.

He is survived by his wife of forty-eight years: Mary Jean (nee Lepkowski), daughters: Barbara Tully and Diane Dziak both of Lorain, son-in-law Jim Dziak of Lorain, grandchildren Joshua, Jaclyn, Heather, Matthew, and Jessica, and a brother: Ronald J. Smith of Noblesville, Indiana, He was preceded in death by his father John J. Smith in 1994 and by his mother: Anne (nee Gargus) Smith in 1996.

Friends may call Monday, May 2, 2005 from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Gluvna-Shimo-Hromada Funeral Chapel – 3224 Broadway – Lorain. Funeral services will be Tuesday beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the funeral chapel and will be followed by the celebration of funeral mass at 10:00 a.m. in the Catholic Church of Saint Peter – 3501 Oberlin Avenue. The Reverend Kenneth Wolnowski, pastor of the parish will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery – Lorain where military honors will be conducted jointly by officers and members of Mullen-Murray Post # 451 of the Veterans of Foreign War along with American Legion Post # 30.

The family suggests memorials to either the Saint Peter Parish Endowment Fund – 3651 Oberlin Avenue – Lorain, Ohio 44053 or to the CHP Regional Foundation/New Life Hospice – 3700 Kolbe Road – Lorain, Ohio 44053.