John (“Jack”) F. Smith W51 WG52 was born June 16, 1929, and lived a robust life, passing away on April 4, 2018. He was and did many things throughout his life, including roles as son, brother, athlete, alumnus, husband, father, businessman, board member, mentor, grandfather, great-grandfather, a great addition to any social event, and a very, very good friend. He was most proud of being a loving husband for 61 years to Mercedes Gery Smith and for building a family that grew to include six children, 14 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. The youngest of four brothers, he kept his extended Smith clan an important part of his life.

He was a successful executive and a proud alumnus of the Haverford School as well as the University of Pennsylvania and its Wharton School. After graduating from Wharton, he entered the U.S. Navy and was proud of his service as chief gunnery officer on the destroyer USS Damato. After the Navy he entered the business world and over a long career served in industrial marketing and senior management roles with Container Corporation of America, Haveg/Hercules, Gould Batteries and Eaton Corporation. He then started the executive search firm Penn Partners. He also served on several boards, including those of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Holy Redeemer Hospital, the Modern Group, the Material Handling Institute, and Wharton’s Emeritus Society. Over time, the Modern and MHI roles led to his recruitment to a more hands-on capacity at Modern, where, over 25 years, he served in various leadership roles—president, chairman, board member and ESOP trustee— ending in March 2018. At Modern, he was known for his people skills, sales ability, insights on strategy, ready inclination to ask the hard questions, and continual push to improve.

Away from the business world and his family, he was an active sports participant and fan. He was an avid amateur oarsman, golfer, and tennis and squash player; he loved to bodysurf and was always ready for any activity. As a fan, he loved the Penn Quakers, the Eagles, and any and all other Philadelphia-based sports teams.

He enjoyed his time at Penn and Wharton, and his engagement with the University didn’t end with graduate school; he remained an active alumnus throughout his life. Most recently, he played a variety of roles with the Wharton Graduate Emeritus Society, connecting senior alumni with MBA students and recent graduates to strengthen mentorship opportunities. In his later years, he and his wife moved into the Hill at Whitemarsh. There he joined the Residents Board, served on multiple committees, and decided it was time to learn more by joining study groups for two great written works, Shakespeare and the Bible. He was truly a social person and loved engaging with anyone on virtually any topic. He always worked to know as many people as he could and came to know everyone—senior management, colleagues, support staff ,and anyone he met—on a first-name basis. His love of learning and ability to remain truly interested in every aspect of life was an inspiration to all who knew him.

He is survived by his children, Ford (Mary-Jo), Field (Mary), Gery McKenna (John), Ashley Holton (Jack), Peter, and Hunter (Lisa), as well as 14 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Mercedes; his parents, Henry and Helene; and brothers Hank, Les, and Art. He had a big and true presence and will be missed by all who knew him or were fortunate enough to cross his path and make his acquaintance in his many stops along the way.