The funeral service for John (Jack) Smith, of Albert Lea, will be 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Church Of Christ Christian, Albert Lea. Robert W. Cash, retired president of the Crossroads College, Rochester, will officiate. Interment will be in Hillcrest Cemetery. Military Honors will be accorded. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Bonnerup Funeral Service, Albert Lea, and one hour before the service at the church.

John died Monday, July 12, 2004, at the Good Samaritan Center, Albert Lea. He was 86 years old.

John (Jack) Smith was born to Harry and Margaret (Hawkins) Smith in Winona on July 7, 1918, and moved with his parents as a small boy to Albert Lea. He graduated from Albert Lea High School In 1935 at the age of 16. He worked in the offices of Wilson & Co., Interstate Power, and Co-op Creamery. He married Arline Campbell (a high school classmate) on July 10, 1941. He was inducted into the Army In June 1942 where he attended radio school, followed by advanced radio maintenance training and was then stationed in South America at Panama, David, and Equador as a chief maintenance man, during World War II. He was discharged from the Army in January of 1946. Upon returning home, he worked as an inspector at Universal Milking Machine Co. until 1948, when he began working at the Albert Lea Post Office. He started working as a clerk and later transferred outside as a letter carrier. He retired in the fall of 1978 at the age of 60, after working 30 years in the Post Office.

He and Arline spent several winters, during their early retirement years, in Los Angeles, Calif. He was a tremendous golf enthusiast, belonging to the Albert Lea Country Club for several years, and Green Lea Golf Course where he was secretary/treasurer of the Men’s Golf League for many years. He played golf on three of the Hawaiian Islands while on a vacation there. During his years of playing golf, he achieved every golfer’s dream of shooting a hole-in-one, three times.

He had a voracious appetite for reading, doing crossword puzzles, and also enjoyed writing poetry. He was also a very gifted artist, doing sketches and drawings throughout his life. He was a member of the Church of Christ where he served as a Sunday School teacher, elder, treasurer for 23 years, and served on the building committee when the new structure was built at 1705 S.E. Marshall. He also was a member of the American Legion.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Arline; two daughters: Trudy (Gary) Lerud of Albert Lea, and Jo Ann (James) Hill of Albert Lea; granddaughters: Jennifer (Mark) Wedin of Alden, Emily (Kipp) Hoeft of St. Cloud, and Jody (Steve) Schultz Of Bloomington; grandson, Darrin Lerud of Elk River, Minn.; great-granddaughters: Hayley and Faith Wedin of Alden; step great-granddaughter, Samara Hoeft of Omaha, Neb., sisters: Betty (Ben) Tufte of Albert Lea, Barbara (Rodney) Halvorson of Kiester, and Ramona (Cyrus) Pollema of Cannon City, Colo.; brothers: Robert (Lenora) Smith of West Covina, Calif., and Gary (Norita) Smith of Manly, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers: Gerald In early childhood, and Donald In 2003.

Jack spent a lifetime striving for and promoting excellence in himself and others.