Theron J €Œjay†Smith

Theron J "Jay" Smith, age 74, passed away on May 11, 2017 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family and his faithful best friend Coco. He was born on October 15, 1942, in Afton, Wyoming, to Theron Franklin Smith and Rella Jenkins Smith. He was raised in Draper, Utah, where he grew up down the street from his sweetheart, Leone Smith. Jay graduated from Jordan High School in 1960. He then enlisted in the United States Air Force at the age of seventeen, where he served from 1960 to 1964. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Marysville, California. It was during his final year of service that he realized he needed to come home and marry that cute girl next door. Jay and Leone were married March 31, 1964; they made their home together in Draper, where they raised their three children.

He worked for Mountain Bell for 36 years, retiring from Qwest in 2000. Jay had an extraordinary work ethic and was not able to stay in retirement for long, so he returned to the workforce at PEPG Engineering and then CMT Engineering until he became sick in October of 2014. Jay truly was a jack of all trades. He could build and repair anything and could always be found hard at work on a new project. He loved working outside and in his garden. His passion was spending time with his wife at the cabin they built together in the High Uintas. He had a special love and bond with his dogs, Chessie and Coco.

Jay is survived by his wife, Leone Smith; his son, Bradley (Gigi) Smith, his daughters, Trisia (Glen) Pickett and Melissa (Seth) Hansen, and seven grandchildren, Justin, Amanda, Chloe, Max, Rhet JD, Adam and Jackson; his sisters, Etta May and Carolyn, and his brothers, Renn, Bryan and Kevin. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Len, as well as his in-laws, Joseph Ralph Smith and Barbara Clark Smith, whom he loved and served.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Thursday, May 18, 2017, at Anderson & Goff Mortuary, 11859 South 700 East, Draper, Utah. A graveside service for family will be held on Friday, May 19, 2017, at 11:00 AM at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 E. Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, Utah.

The family would like to offer a sincere thank you to all those who helped care for him. He loved his doctors; Jason Stinnet and Greg Chipman, along with Whit Reed, PA-C and the staff at Utah Cancer Specialists in Murray. Also, Scott Chidester, M.D., Landon Dickson, M.D., Jaime Woolstenhulme, R.N., as well as Intermountain Homecare and Hospice, especially Jeannie, Kristen, Andrea and Bonnie, who cared for Jay and us through so much. Jay was always appreciative for the concern and kindness shown by his entire medical team.