James R. Smith,  6/8/1951 – 5/20/2023

James "Smitty" Smith, 71, formerly of Freeport, passed away on May 20, 2023 after a brief illness.

Smitty was born in New Diggings, Wisconsin to Robert and Alice (Hocking) Smith. He was the adored only child of his parents but raised in a large family that included almost seventy first cousins. As a child, he moved with his parents to Cedarville and Freeport and attended Aquin High School, followed by the University of Illinois, before returning home to Freeport.

Smitty worked several years for the railroad and in construction, and in 1979 went to work on the construction crew of the cooling towers at Byron Nuclear Power Plant. That job would eventually land him a full-time position at the Byron plant after its official commissioning, and he went on to have a career with Commonwealth Edison and Exelon that spanned decades.

In 1994, Smitty married his beloved wife, Cheryl, who he lovingly nicknamed "Doc" because she was so good at taking care of him (and everything). The two relocated to Kentucky after his retirement, where he loved his relaxing and quiet life and enjoyed trying to find the fish on Lake Barkley.

In addition to his wife of 29 years, Smitty is survived by his three daughters and their spouses, Karin (Jack) Duchow of IN, Jennifer (Phillip Platt) Smith of ME, and Nicole (Brett) Goldberg of NY; seven grandchildren, Jackson and Emelia Duchow, Kyla Taylor, Alyson and Molly Shook, and Juliet and Noah Goldberg; a niece and her spouse, Marci (Greg) Millerschone; and his sister-in-law and spouse Debbie (Eddie) Parks. He was predeceased in life by his parents, Bob and Alice, and 16 aunts and uncles.

In keeping with his wishes there will be no funeral services. Donations can be made in his memory to Freeport Area Church Cooperative Homeless Shelter.