Jeffrey Smith

Smith, Jeffrey T.
Madison: Jeffrey T. Smith passed away after a short battle with cancer on September 22, 2015. He was born on August 2, 1946, in New Jersey. When he was two years old, he went with his family to Aruba, a small island in the West Indies, where he had a happy childhood with many close friends. When he was ten years old, his father's job was relocated to New York City, but his parents chose to live in Summit, New Jersey. After graduating from Summit High School, he worked in Denmark before he was drafted into the U.S. Army serving one year in Vietnam in active service. The close friends he made there were always special to him. The Army left a lasting impression for as Jeff said, "Not a day goes by that I do not think about my experience in Vietnam". Jeff's post-war activities were twofold. First, to meet High School students, together with other war veterans, to discuss their experiences in war. Second, he developed a method of teaching fly fishing to veterans to help them overcome post-traumatic stress.

Jeff's devotion to fly fishing began when he was nine years old cultivating this skill with his parents in Pennsylvania. In fact, he took great pleasure in teaching his daughter, Alicia, to fly fish at a much younger age. When he married Kathy twelve years ago, she too became enthusiastic about the sport. Their shared love of travel around the world sometimes involved fly fishing, but at other times, he would travel with his buddies to find different fishing adventures.

While fly fishing remained a cornerstone of Jeff's entire life, he also valued education and public service. When he returned from Vietnam, he enrolled in Mansfield State College in Pennsylvania where he excelled and developed a major interest in Political Science. He finished a Master's Degree at the University of Wisconsin in Public Administration. He used these credentials to move up the ladder in state government, including the challenging role of budget analyst.

Jeff also had an enduring commitment to environmental protection. In Wisconsin, he led the legislative program for "Trout Unlimited", a cause for which he worked tirelessly for many years. In fact, two days before he died, he received the "Award of Merit" from Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited: "For a legacy of service advancing the conservation of our natural coldwater resource now and for the future".

Jeff is survived by his wife, Kathleen O'Connor; daughter, Alicia Smith, granddaughter, Lea; sister, Pamela Butler; brother, Charles Smith; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A private service will be held at the grave site. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later point in time. Please share a memory.

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