"My Life Is A Very Complete One." This was quoted to a reporter that interviewed Joe E Smith on June 4th, 1982. Just 20 months before he would pass away very suddenly...Today he turns 109 years old, only 76 of those years would he get to enjoy life to the fullest.
Was he sick? Yes...
Did anyone know? No...
There was no way he was going to burden anyone with him not feeling 100%. That's just who he was, everyone else came first, literally until the day that he died. I was 17 years old when my Papa passed away and I did not even know he was sick. Most thought he passed away from a sudden heart attack.
Truth is, he had cancer...no one knew.
This was a man of true commitment to everything he did. His commitment to the Jewish Community was undeniable. He did everything he could to insure that "The Center" would always run. (That's what the JCC was referred to before it became "The J".) In his will, he had set up an endowment that would sustain for years (it is still sustaining). This endowment fund gives a certain amount of money to youth organizations yearly. This is something that was so dear to his heart, and is once again, something I never knew. There are so many things I am learning about this man I called Papa.
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Even thought he had this commitment that was always upheld to the community throughout his years, another commitment came first...to take care of his family . He had a beautiful wife, Becky, a son Harlan and a daughter Sandi. This little girl (my momma) unfortunately had Polio. In the 1940's polio was such a new disease that they had only the ability to try new things to help her. She was a strong one just like him, but she needed a lot of care. He would do whatever it took to make sure she recovered from this horrible disease.
He took her to the Hot Springs in Arkansas just for the warm water therapy. He and my Nana would visit her very often until they could bring her home. When they could bring her home she would need to be able to swim, swim a lot, to keep her muscles as strong as they could. Because of this, he decided to buy a lake home on the shores of Pewaukee Lake. Not only did my mom grow up spending her summers there but so did the rest of my family. We lived there for 3 months out of every year with our Nana and Papa. 7 of us, My mom and dad, my sister and brother, and Nana and Papa. We were (and still are) an extremely close family because of this life we knew. I knew my Papa in a completely different way than anyone he worked with or volunteered with. This guy came home from work in the summer, threw on his swim trunks (that's what he called them), went for a swim, and every night after dinner it was ice cream time! (lots of times it was actually root beer floats)! And just when you thought it was time for bed, on came baseball! Whether he was watching it or just listening to it on the radio, it was baseball time!
At least once a week we would be sitting at dinner and hear the sound of the piano as he walked through our family room, into our kitchen. "Howdoodledoo!" And in he walked with the classic pink and brown polka dot bag with mint chocolate chip and chocolate chip ice cream for us. .
Never once did he let us get by him without him putting his cold cold hands on our faces and getting a kiss!!😘
Before he would stop at our house, he would have just finished a long day at Frank B Hall. All I remember from Frank B Hall would be the pens, pads of paper, and especially the datebook that he gave to my mom yearly!
This Insurance company surpassed expectations because of the hard work and many hours that Joe E Smith put into this company. He received many awards throughout his insurance years and was ultimately named to a life membership in The Franklin Million Dollar Conference. Life's membership is the highest distinction bestowed by the company.
In between his many ventures of building his insurance company, raising funds for his synagogue, taking care of his family, and making sure that "The Center" was running smoothly, he was an accomplished musician. In high school he took up the saxophone and later formed his own band. ~Joe Smith and His Orchestra~...yes, that was the name...His band played at jewish weddings, dances, and shows from 1929-1938. From there he played the piano and taught my Uncle and my mom to play as well. A very talented man my Papa was...
To say that he was very talented and honored would be an understatement. He was a humble and modest man that had a heart of gold and a smile a mile wide. His wife (My Nana) was always so proud and supportive of everything he did. Through his many dinners, meetings and awards banquets, she was always by his side. She was a woman full of love, pride, and giving just as he was. The two of them made our community so very proud. They had this undeniable love for each other that showed in everything they did. It didn't matter if it was for the temple, the center, their family or friends, they did it together with every ounce they had...tirelessly.
In all of this that I have mentioned, also came a love for travel and photography...He and my nana traveled the world! And every time they came back we would all get together and look at the hundreds of pictures (in slide form on a big screen in the living room...and with of course ice cream)). We learned about all of the amazing places they visited and heard many incredible stories. His love for everything in his life was so apparent by how much he wanted to share. There was nothing about him that said "me". It was always "you" "us" "them". This in some way was the eptiome of what he stood for. Everyone mattered and he let that be known in one interview that I just recently learned about.
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| The seven of us away from our lake life...at an award ceremony |
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Forest Gump photo op!
Papa with Golda Meir |
This article is about all of the things that he stood for. Volunteering, helping, leading, mentoring, loving...this man loved his life of community and family. The entire jewish community knew who he was and what he had accomplished to help. At all of the dinners that I attended as a little girl he was always so quiet and humble. These men and women would always stand up on stage and talk about all of the things he had done. I now wonder...when did he ever have time to have ice cream with us? But he always did!
Minutes Of The Executive Committee Meeting
Thursday, June 14th, 1984
Joe E Smith Memorial
Mert Rotter informed the Committee that following discussion with the Smith Family, they felt a fitting tribute to Joe's memory would be the establishment of a Distinguished Volunteer Award. This award would be given out at the annual meeting and possibly thereafter...
Here we are 33 years later, so the "possibly thereafter" has been upheld. I can imagine that the first few years of recipients personally knew my Papa. However as the years went on this Joe E Smith man became a name without a face. I think that these amazing volunteers realize what an honor it is to receive this award but truthfully have no idea why. This year I was happy to present the award to someone who personally knew Joe E Smith. He knew him as my Papa. Bill Bodner could actually put a face with a name because our parents and grandparents were very close growing up. I would love for future award recipients to really know what it means to our family and what it would mean to my Papa to know that his passion lives on in others.
As I thought I knew this man very well, I have recently learned a great deal more about him and what he stood for. The more I learned, the more I loved, and the more I loved, the more I want to be just like him. He was a man so full of life, until the day that he died...Full of love, family, and dedication to everyone around him. It is no wonder that he was quoted "My Life Is A Very Complete One"
door when I open it to look at their babies, or the wind, or the rain. (or the snow for that matter this year!) It is their home and they are comfortable. I can't tell you if they are the same birds laying their eggs each year, or maybe they are even the birds that hatched there the year before, all I know is that they keep coming back. I can guarantee every spring I will hear them sing, watch them build and see them sit until their babies are hatched. This birdhouse has been hanging in our window for 17 years.
2008~My hockey mom years...My youngest is well into hockey, my middle is still...well into hockey and My oldest graduates from high school. I thought to myself, this is going to be the hardest day ever, the day that she goes to college...and it was. I left her in tears, (not hers mind you) and I came home to our now family of 4 still at home.
