Chief James “Jim” Albert Smith, 66, of Tifton died Friday, January 30, 2015, at Tift Regional Medical Center. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 2, 2015, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with Rev. Ronnie Howell and Rev. Craig Nalls officiating. Chief Smith will be laid to rest at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, February 2, 2015, at Garden Hills Cemetery in Opelika, Alabama with Rev. Don Downs officiating. The family will receive friends on Sunday, February 1, 2015, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Brian Golden, Chris Esco, Harvey Harris, Porter Jackson, Earnest Dove and Buddy Dowdy will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Tift County Rotary Club and members of all Law Enforcements Agencies.
Chief Smith was born on October 18, 1948 in Langdale, Alabama and was the son of Andrew Jackson “Jack” Smith and Phyllis Jolene “Jo” Paradowski, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his paternal grandmother, Fannie Maude Shurett.
Chief Smith retired from the Tifton Police Department in 2011, after serving Tifton for 24 years. Prior to that, he was police chief in Lanett, Alabama from 1980-1987. He began his law enforcement career in 1971 as a police officer in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to that, he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1968 to 1971 in Vietnam as a radio operator.
Chief Smith was one of the original founders of LVTTC in the early 90s, through the Tift County Council on Children and Youth, originally known as LVA, Tifton-Tift County. The organization dealt with teaching people to read, not GED preparation. Chief Smith served as president of LV twice and has been an active and engaged board member throughout his law enforcement career. An Honorary GED Scholarship Fund has been set-up in Chief Smith’s name to honor his service.
Chief Smith is survived by his wife, Iris Flournoy Smith of Tifton; one daughter and son-in-law, Wendy Michelle and Jimmy Nasworthy of Tifton; two sons and one daughter-in-law, James Russell Smith of Los Angeles, California and Michael Scott and Janna Sweatman of Opelika, Alabama; his brothers and sisters and their spouses, Phillip and Brenda Smith of Sanford, North Carolina, Debbie and Heyward Lynn of Donalsonville, Chuck and Diane Smith of Fernandina, Florida, Cathy Frith and Winston McKenzie of Brookwood, Alabama, Jerry Jones of Sanford, North Carolina, Terry Jones of Kingsland, Tammy and Rick Screws of Hinesville, Tammy and Andy Paszkiewicz of Matthews, North Carolina and Stephen and Cynthia Paradowski of Lanett, Alabama; his step-father, Bob Paradowski of Lanett, Alabama; his grandchildren, and their spouses, Heather Elaine Cole and Zachary Ryan Greer of Tifton; Kylie Ann and Kenny Ray and Taylor Griffith, both of Opelika, Alabama; and one great-granddaughter, Katie Aslynd Sparks of Tifton; one great-grandson, Archer Ryan Greer of Tifton; and his very special and longtime friends, Phillip and Paula Harlin of Lanett, Alabama, Jim and Elaine Willkomm and Tommy and Sandra Johnson, all of Tifton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Chief James Smith Honorary GED Scholarship Fund, Literacy Volunteers, Moultrie Tech Tifton Campus, 52 Tech Drive, Tifton, GA 31794.