John Milton Smith, Jr., 85, of Mesa, Arizona, passed away peacefully in his sleep with his family at his side on April 22, 2017.
A memorial service will be held June 16 at 10:30 a.m. at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery at 7900 E. Main Street, Mesa, Arizona, 85207. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be sent to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at 1534 N. Recker Road, Mesa, Arizona, 85205.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Smith of Mesa; his children, Elaine (Jonathan) Loekle, Emily Smith, Marcus (Cynthia) Smith, and Evelyn (Michael) Moe; and his step-children, James (Jennifer) Bickley, Kathleen (Guy) Yocom, and Heather (Scott) Harden. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Doris Marie Smith.
John Milton (“Milt”) Smith, Jr. was born to Rosalie Smith and John Milton Smith, Sr. in Kansas City, Mo., on May 17, 1931. He graduated in 1948 from Southeast High School in Kansas City, Mo., was an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America, and was a sharp shooter on the rifle team of his high school’s R.O.T.C. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Kansas University in Lawrence, Kansas in 1952. He is a military veteran who served during the time of the Korean War at Fort Huachuca Army Base in Cochise, Arizona; and Fort Bliss Army Base in El Paso, Texas.
Milt worked for over 40 years as an electrical engineer. For much of his career, he ran his own consulting firm and led projects at companies such as Motorola and Honeywell, as well as numerous start-up companies throughout the country. His work involved designing the first computerized equipment to test and set up commercial air conditioners at hospitals and large office buildings; electrical design work on airplanes and helicopters; and radar tracking systems for weather and military applications. He was an accomplished photographer, an avid reader, and loved art, literature, and music. He was also a musician, and played piano, violin, guitar and mandolin. He loved working with computers and was a leading pioneer in the transition into the digital age. An advocate of the American Southwest, he enjoyed road trips, camping, hiking and other outdoor activities.