James E. Smith's Obituary
James E. Smith (Smitty)SunriseJanuary 28, 1947 SunsetJuly 12, 2018James E. Smith (Smitty) was born January 28, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana to Lafayette Howard Smith, Sr. and Willie Belle Conner. He was the third of seven children and under the guidance of their father, a minister, the Smith children all grew up in the church.At age 17 Smitty enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he competed as a Golden Gloves boxer and also went on to serve in Vietnam as a Supply Sergeant. Smitty was inspired to go to college while in the Marine Corps and after he was discharged in 1968, he attended San Diego City College, earning an AA Degree. Smitty then earned his BA in Sociology from San Diego State University before completing a year of Law School.In 1971, Smitty went to work for the Model Cities Program as a Community Technician; he was always proud to have worked on the development and building of the Educational Community Center in southeast San Diego. In 1972, he began his career with the City of San Diego as a Social Program Specialist and later as a Contract Compliance Officer. Smitty’s office is adorned with professional awards and certificates. In 1992, Smitty joined the County Water Authority as the Manager of the Small Business Development Office from which he retired in 2002.Driven by his love for all types of music, Smitty established his company Midnight Melodies and became one of the city’s most popular DJs. As “Vitamin E”, he spun records for wedding receptions, birthday and retirement parties and family reunions. He was also a sought-after MC for many community events including the annual Mountain View Ski Club Lip Sync contest and Mr. Black San Diego.In retirement, Smitty happily spent more time with his past times, never saw a golf course or card table he could pass up. His long ball was extraordinary and he has plenty of trophies to show for it. He united with New Birth Kingdom Covenant Church under the leadership of Pastor Archie Robinson.Smitty departed this life on July 12, 2018. He leaves to cherish his memory his friend and partner Staajabu Heshimu of San Diego, California; children, Marvin A. Smith of Hamburg, Germany, Jamal L. Smith, Jaeneen Johnson (Darryl), LaSalle Hasbrouck all of San Diego, California, LaMar Hasbrouck of Chicago, Illinois; siblings, Barbara Jean Gilliam (Walter) of Gahanna, Ohio, William “Billy” Smith (Barbara), Robert “Bobby” Smith (Pearl), Marvenia Green and Michelle Easler, all of Indianapolis, Indiana, Darryle Smith (Karen) of Kansas City, Missouri, and Barbara Lynn Redman of Atlanta, Georgia; grandchildren, Baele Hasbrouck, Alexandrya J. Bryant, Maysa Hasbrouck, Karrengton J. Fountain, Lalah Hasbrouck, La Che’ Hasbrouck, Naila Hasbrouck; great-granddaughter, Madison Bradford; and a host of other relatives and friends. Smitty was preceded in death by his parents and his older brother, Lafayette Smith, Jr.Smitty will forever be remembered for his generosity and fun-loving nature. He was an amazing human being, truly ONE IN A MILLION.Services for James E. Smith (Smitty) will be held on Friday, July 20, 2018 at 11:00 am at Bayview Baptist Church located at 6134 Pastor Timothy J. Winters Street (formerly Benson Avenue), San Diego, CA 92114.
What’s your fondest memory of James?
What’s a lesson you learned from James?
Share a story where James' kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with James you’ll never forget.
How did James make you smile?