John Calvin Smith

John Calvin Smith, born October 27, 1948 to loving parents Willis Charles Smith and Wanda Elaine (Steele) Smith in Corbin, Kentucky, passed from this life on October 29, 2020, with Susan Robinson Smith, his wife of 47 years, by his side.
John was a 1966 graduate of Corbin High School and attended Cumberland College after returning from his tour of duty in Vietnam in 1970. Soon after college John became employed by Rudd Equipment Company where he spent 25 years in Technical Support, Sales, and Management. During this time John worked in Louisville, Lexington, Pikeville, and Charleston, WV. After the loss of his parents in 1998, John returned home to be close to remaining family in Corbin. He then worked then for his wife's family business, Forest Products, Inc. as Sales Manager for 22 years.
During his working career John loved the game of Golf and he played whenever he got the chance. He loved the sport and the camaraderie of his playing group. Later in life when his health began to fail, he said he missed playing golf most of all. In honor of his passion for the sport and the Forest Industry, the Kentucky Forest Industries Association renamed their annual golf tournament The John Smith Invitational Tournament in perpetuity.
John served on several Board of Directors; The West Virginia Mining & Reclamation Association, The Kentucky Forest Industries Association as Board Member, VP, President and Co-Chairman of the Kentucky Logging Expo. John served on the National Hardwood Lumbermen's Association.
Most importantly, John knew Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, and became a student of the bible in his later years, spending hours listening to bible scholars and having many conversations about his faith. He was a member of Poplar Grove Baptist Church in Corbin. John made quite an impact on many, and he is dearly loved and missed. Memorial services for John will be private by the Vankirk-Grisell Funeral Home, where messages may be written to the family at vankirkgrisellfuneralhome.com Instead of sending flowers or planting trees, please consider making an impact by donating to The Freeman Foundation, an organization that supports a special needs orphanage in Haiti, which is a cause dear to John's daughter, Brooke. To donate through PayPal, send funds to info@travisfreeman.org, or send a check by mail to: The Freeman Foundation at PO Box 2671 Corbin, KY 40702.