James L. Smith's Obituary
James L. Smith, 83, of Lehigh Acres, FL went to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, May 3, 2020. He was born November 19th, 1936 in Buffalo, NY to the late James and Mabel (Rawe) Smith. He married the love of his life, Lois (Coyer) on December 21, 1963.
Jim was first and foremost a Christian; he loved the Lord and lived according to the Scriptures. Jim graduated from Hutchinson-Central Technical High School in Buffalo and was an army veteran. He owned and operated Smith’s Lawn and Marine Service for over 30 years at 9100 Main St. in Clarence, NY. Jim loved water-skiing, boating, shooting, and deer hunting and was a life member of both the National Rifle Association and the Buffalo Shooting Club. After his retirement to Naples, Florida, he and Lois were involved in Naples Ears and Lee County Ears, organizations dedicated to helping those with hearing loss. He had a wonderful sense of humor, an optimistic outlook on life, a very gentle forgiving heart, a recognizable whistle, and will be missed immensely by his family and friends.
He is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Lois (Coyer); daughter Lorie (Matt) Burke of Ft. Myers, FL; son Glenn (Heather) of Wellsville, NY; son Wayne of Lehigh Acres, FL; and son Eric (Kristen) of Lockport, NY.; sister Lois Moeser of Orchard Park, NY. Jim has 10 grandchildren: Mackenzie, Melody, Meredith, and Andrew Burke; Jesse, Ethan (Aline), Trevor, Kayla, Brooke, and Jarron Smith. Jim is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of James L. Smith are suggested to: Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, Inc. https://www.youthranches.org/ways-to-give/online-donation or The John Birch Society https://www.jbs.org/donate/ . Gift cards to his wife would also be greatly appreciated.
A memorial service in celebration of Jim’s life is tentatively planned for June at Buckingham Baptist Church in Ft. Myers, FL.
Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home & Cemetery is entrusted with final care.
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