Nicole Morris remembers grandfather Jessie Smith Jr. as a kind soul, a loving provider and an energetic man with an amazing sense of humor – one that was sharp as ever even after he turned 100.
He was also, Morris notes, a bit of a show-off.
“Even at age 100, 101, 102 – the doctor would ask him, ‘Hey, Mr. Jessie, do you think you can raise your legs up?’ And he said, ‘Let me show you.’ And he gets off the table and starts doing jumping jacks. He was so funny – and he was a flirt. He was always flirting with the nurses and everything like that.”
Smith was believed to be the oldest living person in St. Charles Parish prior to his passing on Oct. 26 of last year at the age of 103. He experienced more than a century of life – and he made his time count.
He and wife Evelyn shared 68 years of marriage and had four daughters, 11 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren who carry on his legacy today.
Smith was born in St. Rose to Jessie and Mary Smith in 1922 – “I was born on Fourth Street, and a midwife delivered me,” he told Jamie Gianopulos of Veteran Care Coordination in January of 2022. He was the oldest of seven siblings and liked to joke that he was “Number One.”
At the age of 20, he enlisted in the United States Army and served his country for four years in the The World War II veteran was honorably discharged in 1946. Smith traveled the world during his deployment, venturing to Australia, Hawaii and the Philippines among the destinations. Smith was part of the 856 Aviation Engineering Battalion. During World War II, the Aviation Engineer Battalions played a crucial role in providing the worldwide system of bases that were utilized during the war – units trained to construct, conceal, maintain, and defend airfields.
Following his service, he met Evelyn, the love of his life. The two dated for nearly a year before they were wed. They raised four daughters, Jesslyn, Eloise, Cynthia, and Anita.
Smith worked as a chief engineer at Flint Goodridge Hospital for 24 years and then worked at Notre Dame Seminary for 10 years before his retirement in 1989. He was an active member of his community and church – he was proud to be part of one of the final groups baptized in the Mississippi River by his uncle, the late Pastor Sanders Royal.
For Morris, Smith was more than a grandparent.
“He was more like a father to us,” Morris said. “He raised my brother and I from the dirt … he was a great provider. He loved his work and loved being in the service. And he truly loved his family. He was such a family man. He worked his butt off to make sure his family had everything it needed.”
She said her grandfather was a good person – and “funny and sassy.”
“He was a character,” she said. “Everybody knew who he was. He was such a kind-hearted person and so smart when it came to building stuff.”
Smith, in fact, built his own house. It was one way he channeled his natural energy, and he found ways to continue directing that energy throughout his life. He loved to walk and ride his bike, and he maintained a very active lifestyle – something Morris believes contributed to his amazing longevity, along with his extremely positive mentality.
“He stayed active. His dad lived until he was 97. He ate right – they used to eat from their garden. I’ll tell you what – my grandfather was a great cook. He could cook the heck out of a turkey. I think that’s what he was known for to a lot of people,” Morris said.
“It just seemed like nothing ever bothered him. My grandmother liked to fuss. She’d fuss him and call him all kinds of names, and he would say, really calmly, ‘OK, Evelyn, no problem.’ I think that made her even more mad, honestly – but I never, ever heard him raise his voice or say a bad word. If you asked him how he’s doing, it was always, ‘I’m doing great,’ even if he was feeling bad.”
