died in the home of his daughter on September 17, 2020 in Tampa, FL
as a result of liver cancer. He was 77.
Mr. Smith was born on December 16, 1942 in Chittenango, NY to his parents, Wesley and
Charlotte Smith. He married Patricia Kunkle in 1960. The Smiths moved to Rochester NY
where Jim worked as a Safety Engineer at Eastman Kodak Company. He retired in 1992 and
dedicated the rest of his life to supporting his grandchildren, as well as starting his own pressure
washing business.
Mr. Smith was active in his community and could often be counted on to help his neighbors. He
was a fun loving and gentle man with a quick wit and infectious smile and was always able to
strike up a conversation with anyone he might encounter during the day. He had a life-long love
of car racing and his Sundays were often spent watching NASCAR.
Mr. Smith is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Margo and Randy Burris of Las Vegas
NV; daughter and son-in-law Rosemarie and Ronald Klimley of Tampa FL; daughter Cathy
Wilcox; and son and daughter-in-law James P. and Lea Smith and eight grandchildren. He was
preceded in death by his brothers Levi and George and his sisters Jenny, Blanche, Olive,
Pauline, Marguerite, Edie, Evelyn, and Linda.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Cancer Society. A page in remembrance of
Jim has been established on the American Cancer Society Mosaic web page. On the Mosaic
page a search for “James Smith” will lead you to his page. Also, a guest book on that site has
been established and we encourage friends and family to leave a note about Jim.
