James Smith (Jim) passed away on Friday morning, January 31st. He was born in Independence, Missouri to Bruce and Dorothy Grace Smith in 1934, joining his three older sisters. A four-year-old brother had passed in the family just fourteen months prior to Jim’s birth so he was very loved and doted on by his family.
Jim grew up in the Sugar Creek and northern Independence area graduating as a proud Viking in 1952 from Northeast High School in Kansas City. Following graduation he went to work for Westinghouse Aviation Gas Turbine Division (later known as Bendix and now Honeywell) in Kansas City.
Jim felt that staying in Kansas City without a plan was taking him on a path he didn’t want to travel. Therefore, he enlisted in the Air Force in 1953 and after basic training at Lackland AFB outside San Antonio, he landed in Biloxi, Mississippi on Keesler AFB training as a radar technician. It was on the beautiful gulf coast of Mississippi where he attended the First Baptist Church of Gulfport with other Christian service members that he met Dorothy McManus who would become his bride.
They were married October 1954 and shortly after, Jim was sent to England to serve during the Korean War conflict. Dorothy joined him a year later with their new baby living in Braintree for two years. Following his honorable discharge, the family of three returned to Mississippi and Jim determined that his education was paramount in supporting his family.
They moved to Starkville where Jim attended Mississippi State University using his GI benefits; earning his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering. Their family grew with another daughter and following graduation, Jim went to work for Western Electric (Bell Laboratories) as a civilian at the U.S. military’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Jim worked on a project developing the first U.S. operational line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile, the Nike Ajax. While living nearby in El Paso, Texas, their family grew again with daughter number 3. Jim was outnumbered by all his girls in the household. With Bell Labs, he transferred to the newly built Western Electric plant in Lee’s Summit, MO.
Jim had a career he loved in electronics that gave him and Dorothy wonderful places to experience. His projects with Western Electric and later AT&T International took him around the country and beyond. One stop was Allentown, Pennsylvania where, while working in integrated development, he attended Lehigh University. All the girls were in school by then and experienced apartment living and traveling in the Northeast U.S. and Canada. Returning to Lee’s Summit, Jim worked in transistors and diodes while at the same time, attending night classes with the University of Kansas, earning a Master’s Degree in Engineering.
Jim maintained his Professional Engineering License up until just a few years back. AT&T offered Jim a position in Seoul, South Korea to design and start up the manufacturing facility at Gold Star Semiconductor (now known as LG electronics). He returned to Lee’s Summit a year later, planning the production of Integrated Circuits in a clean room at the Western Electric plant.
When Jim completed the project, he said it was the largest clean room in the country at that time. Their last move was in 1986 when he became the Director of Engineering and Production of Integrated Circuits in Madrid, Spain. Planning for that big move, they lived in Orlando where he met with Spanish engineers and hired U.S. engineers for the project. Jim and Dorothy lived in Madrid two years becoming very active in their English-speaking church, Immanuel Baptist Church. Every place they lived,
Jim and Dorothy made sure to travel all around to take in the culture and sights. They returned to the U.S. where Jim retired at the age of fifty-five. An opportunity arose to purchase an old family home on the coast of Mississippi and they grabbed it. Dad said if he didn’t, he was afraid he was going to be divorced. They enjoyed that house for nine years hosting their daughters and their families as well as many of their friends from home.
Jim took many opportunities to volunteer with community, civic and faith-based groups. He was a 33rd degree Mason, a member and Past Master of Summit Lodge. He was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and active with DeMolay and Rainbow Girls. He was active in Scottish Rite serving as the Venerable Master in The Lodge of Perfection of Kansas City in 1983. He was very proud of and greatly enjoyed his time with the American Legion Post 189, diligently serving the Honor Guard attending many funerals throughout the Kansas City area and beyond.
Jim was a member and Deacon of First Baptist Church, Lee’s Summit. He also served as Deacon at Immanuel Baptist Church in Madrid. If you ever went to the Lee’s Summit Medical Center and later St. Luke’s East hospital, you might have spotted Jim volunteering there and assisting visitors and patients in finding their way. He really loved seeing people in his eleven years volunteering in healthcare.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, three sisters, and his first wife Dorothy who passed in 2007. Jim and Dorothy were blessed to have 53 years of marriage, raising their three daughters; Janet Asher (Mike), Marcia Salinger (Mike), and Cynthia Smith. He dearly loved and was so proud of his ten grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. Seeing all the little ones brought him great joy.
Jim married Sylvia Swift in 2013 adding her three children to his life. This includes Shannon Swift (Don), Eric Swift and Daniel Swift (Anne) along with three grandchildren. Jim and Sylvia enjoyed many travels during their time together as well as many activities including the Kansas City Symphony, lunches with friends or old classmates and serving their church.
Join Jim’s Family in celebration and remembrance at First Baptist Church, Lee’s Summit, on Wednesday, February 5, 2025. Visitation will be held from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm followed by the funeral at 2:00 pm. Burial will be at the Lee’s Summit Historical Cemetery with Military Honors. Arrangements by Floral Hills, Raytown.
Donations honoring Jim may be made to First Baptist Church of Lee’s Summit, Kansas City Hospice or the Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders.
