George John Smith, 83, of Rochester, died unexpectedly at his home on Saturday, April 28, 2018. George was born on Sept. 21, 1934, in Philadelphia, to John and Louise Smith.
George joined the Navy after high school, serving a tour in Korea. Following his time in the Navy, he moved to the Midwest with a group of close friends 
to attend Yankton College in South Dakota.
After college, he met his wife of 50 years, Joann. The two raised three daughters together. His career as a facility manager took the family throughout the Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Before retiring, George managed the Rochester Civic Center. During his retirement, he was an active member of his church, volunteered as a mediator, and served on the board for the Gift of Life Transplant House.
George was a devout Catholic, and his faith inspired him to help others. He is known for his storytelling and his sense of humor, something not lost on long-time colleague Roger Newton.
“George and I started working in Des Moines at the same time,” Newton said, “he as director of the brand new Des Moines Convention Center and me as GM of Veterans Auditorium.
“I learned after a few months that, well, George had more time on his hands than did I. George loved to talk and loved to tell stories. He would call me most afternoons to chat and I would usually have to end the conversation to call promoters to keep trying to book shows. I found out that George grew up with five sisters and he lived with his wife and his three girls. Poor guy couldn’t get words in growing up or at home, I surmised.
Newton said that his friend was also fond of merriment and jokes.
“George loved a good prank,” Newton said. “He, Dick Geyer, and Frank Jirik were always playing jokes on each other and one day Dick and Frank got George good. Apparently Dick had a local radio newsman in Rapid City make up a fake news story that Dick had been fired by the mayor for improprieties. He played the recording for Frank then Frank and Dick called George with the ‘bad news.’ After telling him they then played the ‘news’ story. George fell for it and after the call he immediately started calling several industry contacts to try to find his friend Dick another job. When Dick learned about George making all those calls he had to call George to let him know it was a joke.
“This was George. Loyal to friends and wanting to help. When I read about all his volunteer work in retirement I again thought this was so like George wanting to help others. RIP my friend. There are a lot more laughs in heaven now that you are there.”
Rex Post has been a part of the public assembly venue industry for a long time and knows seemingly everyone in the business. George Smith is one of those individuals he recalls with fondness.
“George after retiring was the volunteer’s volunteer in Rochester,” Post said. “He worked with the courts, his church, and with the Mayo Medical Center. George became a saint to the Post family when he took the time to sit with my older brother Bob during his bouts with esophageal cancer. He would sit with Bob to give my sister-in-law Verna a chance to take a break or get some rest during the months of this procedure. I happened to be able to take a few days in between Monster Truck dates in the upper Midwest and took time to spend with Bob and to take George out. I had to rassle the bill from him when we did go out for dinner. He insisted because I was in HIS TOWN. George even took the time to attend my brother’s funeral service years later which was a 200-mile round trip. Not sure if the Vatican would approved but he is SAINT UNCLE GEORGE in my family.”
Post also had another story to recall about his friend from an IAVM (then IAAM) annual conference.
“It was the annual conference in Minneapolis in 1994,” Post said. “It was after the golf tournament and Tom Powell’s softball game in the Metrodome. I was on the IR after the game due to some poor cart driving getting outta the facility so I was nursing a dislocated toe. Three of my mentors decided I needed to have some sustenance and liquid pain medication to dull the pain. The details will remain for another time since I believe the stattue of limitations might still be in play, but George Smith, Tom Powell and Don Sandefur, plus Tom’s wife, proceeded to take me to a nearby steak house. The waitress was given an order of every 20 minutes to refresh the table with beverages. The trio must have known there was an extra cask of Scotch on hand. After an hour, we decided we might be wise to order dinner and soon after Denzel Skinner joined us and needless to say it was a festive eve. The next day, George found me and had one question: Did we actually eat dinner?
“God bless George Smith and to those that showed others the way before him.”
Survivors include his wife, Joann; daughters, Laura of Edina, Brigid (Vic Russiff) of The Woodlands, Texas, and Margaret (Tom French) of Minnetonka. He was a loving grandfather to Noah and Sophie Russiff, and Owen and Jonah French. He is also survived by his two sisters, Stephanie Southrey and Ann Flamm of Philadelphia. He is preceded in death by his parents and three sisters.
The funeral for George will be at 4 p.m. Friday, May 4, at St. John the Evangelist church in Rochester with Visitation one hour before the service.
