John Sheridan Smith

Princeton - John Sheridan Smith, 85, of Princeton passed away to be with his Lord on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, surrounded by his loving family in Geneva, IL. He was born on April 2, 1939, in Princeville, IL., the son of John A. Smith and Virginia (Mosher) Smith. He married Lynda Magnuson on June 18, 1966, in Princeton. To know "Smitty," was to love "Smitty." No one loved him more than his family, but there were many who did from the students he taught and athletes he coached over the years. John was a God-loving man strong in his faith, who loved his wife, three children and six grandsons dearly. He was a very proud Grandpa and adored them all. While he had his hands in many walks of life, from the classroom, to bus driving, coaching, detasseling crews and real estate, John was involved with his family 100% and never missed his kids' games or activities, no matter how busy he was. His math students knew they had a friend standing at the front of the classroom. At test time, he'd always say, "Here's your test, good luck, and God bless you." He was also known for sharing the joke of the day in his Far Side calendar with the students. He loved the fishing trips to Canada with the PHS Sportsmen's Club, especially when he landed the big one and had plenty of fishing stories to share. John was a tireless driver, known to drive straight through on trips to Canada and Florida and logging many hours to Idaho and Kansas to visit his family. John loved serving his church, golfing and playing cards and was involved in the Elks Club and Ducks Unlimited. A diehard Cubs fan, John witnessed the first night game at Wrigley Field in August of 1988 with his family and was overjoyed to see his beloved Cubbies finally win the World Series in 2016. John loved sitting in his favorite recliner watching sports on TV and giving his "best" coaching advice or play call. What would make him smile the most was when the announcers would make the exact same recommendations he just shared. He really believed if he was the Cub's coach, he could have taken his Cubbies to the pennant every year! John was a standout athlete at PHS. Baseball was his favorite sport, and he took his passion to the Fastpitch Church League field. When he returned to teach at PHS, he coached football, golf, boys' basketball, and was the longest-tenured girls basketball coach, winning four regionals in 10 years, remaining as the program's winningest coach. John is survived by his wife Lynda, three children: Amy (John) Sullivan of Boise, Idaho - sons Zachary and Jacob; Matt (Leigh) Smith of De Soto, Kansas - sons Mack and Beau; and Alison Smith of Boise, Idaho - sons Cael and Owen. He was preceded in death by his father and mother, stepfather Irvin Gustafson, and in-laws James and Shirley Magnuson. There will be a Celebration of Life helf for John on Saturday, March 1, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at the Evangelical Covenant Church of Princeton, IL officiated by Pastor Derek Boggs, Organist Charlie GeBeck. Online condolences may be directed to www.norbergfh.com Arrangements by Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments.

John Sheridan Smith

April 2, 1939 - December 16, 2024