Forrest J. Smith, Jr.

Forrest J. Smith, Jr., 90, of Marshalltown, passed away on the morning of Wednesday, October 28th, at the Southridge Nursing and Rehab Center, under the care of Iowa River Hospice. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, November 1st, at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. He will be laid to rest in the Albion Cemetery with military honors bestowed by the Harry C. Harter Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #839 and American Legion Post in the Marshalltown area. Visitation will be held from 3-5:00 p.m. on Saturday. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. Ph. 641-844-1234. Born on Thanksgiving Day, November 27th, 1924, in Grinnell, he was the son of Forrest J. and Wilma (Wilcox) Smith, Sr. The family moved to Marshalltown that same year. In 1942, he graduated from the Marshalltown High School. He was employed as assistant manager of the Des Moines Register and Tribune agency from 1942 to 1943. Forrest served our country honorably in the United States Army Air Corps as a navigator in WWII. Upon returning to Marshalltown, he began his education at the Marshalltown Junior College, graduating in 1947 and then Iowa State University, graduating in 1948. Forrest began a colorful and rewarding career in the engineering department of Fisher Controls in 1949 and was employed until his retirement in 1983 as a designer. In November of 1959, he was married to Shirley Kay Betts and they had one daughter, Glenda Kay Smith. Mr. Smith loved cars- he served his passion of the automobile by being a member of the Marshalltown Area Restorers Club (as treasurer), the International Edsel Club and the Antique Automobile Club of America. He enjoyed cats, his dog Sunshine and most of all treasured his family. Left to cherish his memory are his grandchildren- Angel Joy Smith, Lorey Ann Smith and Skylar Brooks Smith, great-grandson Dominick Thomas-Smith (D.J.), his sister Betty McWilliams, many nieces and nephews and friends. In death, he rejoined his parents, brother Max and sister Dorothy McCarthy.