Obituary John P. Smith, 79, of Morton, passed away at 7:22am, Sunday, January 5, 2014 while vacationing in Florida with his wife. John was born December 19, 1934 at home in Creve Coeur to John H. and Ruth P. Kenny Smith. He married Mary Preston on December 26, 1957 in Creve Coeur; she survives. Also surviving are their daughters, Karen (Darryl Vaughn) Smith and Elaine (Scott) Hansen, both of Morton; grandchildren, Holly (Travis) Wolf of East Peoria and Mason Smith Hansen of Morton; great-grandchildren, Kayla, Megan, and Caitlyn; and a sister, Lola Hufford of Morton. He was preceded in death by his parents and 4 sisters. John attended Illinois Central College, going on to Bradley University, where he received a degree in engineering. He joined Caterpillar Tractor Co. at the age of 16 as a high school co-op student, eventually becoming a senior design engineer and retiring after 42 years of service. From 1957-1959 he served with the US Army in Germany, and went into the reserves for 4 years after his return. He was a member of the Fondulac and Quail Meadows Senior Men's Golf Leagues, as well as the Mr. and Mrs. Dance Club. For many years, he coached NTRA Softball teams and taught drafting at ICC for 8 years. Since 1994, he and his wife enjoyed their winters in Florida. He was a lifelong Cubs and Bears fan, and enjoyed reading non-fiction, completing crosswords, and researching genealogy. Above all, John loved spending time with his children and grandchildren. His family was the most important thing to him. A funeral service for John will be at 10:00am, Saturday, January 11, 2014 at Deiters Funeral Home & Crematory, Washington. Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00pm, Friday, January 10, 2014 at the funeral home. Entombment will be in the mausoleum at Hillcrest Memory Gardens, rural Morton. Military honors will be performed. John's memorial website is available at www.deitersfuneralhome.com, where condolences may also be sent to the family.