Obituary of John Z. Smith Jr.

John Zachary Smith Jr. 52 of Poughkeepsie died at home surrounded by his family, Monday November 26, 2018. Born on June 24, 1966 in Cresco Iowa, he was the son of the late John Z. Smith and Joan Johnson Smith.

John attended the University of Iowa and received a BS in Economics. He then earned his Ph.D at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the field of labor economics. Immediately following, his first teaching position was at Vassar College as Assistant Professor of Economics.

It was at Vassar that John met Nancy Smith. They married on July 3, 1999 at the Vassar College Chapel.

After John’s tenure at Vassar, he was hired as a Master Teacher at New York University. It was during this time, he had the opportunity to become a Visiting Professor at the United States Military Academy (USMA) which eventually developed into his most current position.  For the past 11 years, John was employed at USMA as a Senior Research Analyst at the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis (OEMA) and an Associate Professor of Economics in the Department of Social Sciences. John’s number one passion was teaching and as a result impacted many lives during the course of his 30 year career.

John was a local resident since 1993 and was a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Poughkeepsie and served on the church council.

The son of Iowa farmers, his Midwestern sensibility and generosity of spirit endeared him to all.  John brought a sharp mind and boundless energy to every facet of his life. Revisiting his farming roots, John was most fulfilled when he could plant a garden each year and see the fruits of his labor produce a wide variety of heirloom tomatoes and other vegetables.   

John found solace in walking and would average 6 - 10 miles daily. During the course of his long illness, walking became a way of bringing peace to his body, mind and spirit. John was also an avid supporter and fan of Army football and loved his Minnesota Vikings.

John is survived by his wife Nancy of Poughkeepsie, his two sisters Shelley Curtis and her husband Dave of California, Kari Damhoff of Colorado, his niece Shiloh Curtis and two nephews Shawn and Zachary Damhoff.

Calling Hours will be 4 pm to 7 pm Friday November 30, 2018 at the Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home, 371 Hooker Ave., Poughkeepsie, New York 12603. Funeral services will take place 11 am Saturday December 1, 2018 at St. John's Lutheran Church, 55 Wilbur Blvd, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603.

Burial will be in the family plot at the Greenfield Lutheran Cemetery in Harmony, Minnesota.

Memorial donations may be made in John's name to Hospice of Dutchess County 374 Violet Ave. Poughkeepsie, New York www.hvhopsicefoundation.org or to the Army Athletic Association West Point 600 Thayer Road West Point, NY 10996 goarmywestpoint.com/support

If you would like to leave an online condolence, please visit www.doylefuneralhome.com