James F. Smith

James F. "Jim" Smith, 71, of St. Paul, passed away at 7:30 p.m., Friday, November 11, 2022, at his home following a courageous nine-year battle with a liver transplant.

James Francis Smith was born on March 4, 1951, to Herman and Gertrude Verdean (Callahan) Smith in Parsons.  He grew up in rural Cherryvale and attended Morehead and Labette County High School.

Born with an adventurous spirit, one of his first jobs, working for a Neodesha, Kansas company, gave him the opportunity to work and travel.  Eventually his sense of adventure took him to Alaska to seek employment.  During his Alaska adventure, he worked numerous remote jobs as a mechanic.  Eventually, he included the Alaska pipeline and gold mining in his jobs that he loved.  After the birth of his daughter, Cary, family became his adventure.  The family returned to the southeast Kansas area and Jim worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) in Altamont until his retirement in 2010.

Jim enjoyed his family.  He was generous and loving with his daughter, Cary, and her family.  His mother was also important to him, as they were both cat lovers and she once shared that Jim was her best helper with laundry and household chores.  He was a kind and quietly thoughtful soul with a sense of humor often only seen by his family.  Jim was loyal and he cherished his fellow KDOT employees.

On October 4, 1980, Jim and Carol F. Miller were united in marriage in North Pole, Alaska. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include:

His daughter – Cary Wagner and her husband, Chris, of Lee's Summit, Missouri

Grandson – Carter James Wagner of Lee's Summit, Missouri

Five brothers – Bob Smith of Tulsa, Oklahoma

Bill Smith of rural Cherryvale, Kansas

Mike Smith of rural Cherryvale, Kansas

Gary Smith of rural Cherryvale, Kansas

Pat Smith of Galesburg, Kansas

One sister – Linda Essig of Parsons, Kansas

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Dan Smith; one sister, Shirley Smith; a sister-in-law, Tonya Smith; and two nieces, Melissa and Mindy Smith.

In honor of Jim's wishes, no services will be held.  Cremation is under the direction of the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Parsons.

Memorials are suggested to the Proud Animal Lovers Shelter (PALS) in keeping with Jim's love of strays and his hope for a forever home for each of the fur friends.  These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS  67357.