Obituary of Jason Paul Smith

Jason Paul Smith, 36, husband of Abby Lou Conner Smith, died Wednesday, February 23, 2022, at his home. Born in Zanesville, OH, he was a son of Orley Smith and Teresa Swingle Smith. Growing up he played football and baseball while he attended Elgin for high school. He loved watching football, but also enjoyed fishing, and golf. Being from OH - IO, Jason was a Buckeye fan through and through. After graduating high school, Jason served as a Military Police Officer in the U. S. Air Force starting in 2004 and was a veteran of Iraq. He was a natural leader and earned the nickname “the wise owl” from his friends and colleagues. Jason was named NCO of the year for his unit in 2008. He served on five tours of duty overseas during his enlistment and continued to work at Shaw as a civilian police officer following his exit from the Air Force in 2010. Jason received his bachelor's degree for Criminal Justice from St. Leo’s University. He also served as a corrections officer and then later cross trained into the field of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in 2019. Jason and Abby met in 2007 and married in 2010 in Sumter, SC. They started their family with two dogs, Layla and Bogey, and eventually expanded to actual children with the birth of their first child Conner in 2013. Olivia was born in 2015. Jason was a generous, loving, devoted husband and father with patience beyond measure. He was a faithful friend and had a servant’s heart always offering a helping hand or two for anyone in need. You could often find Jason on the golf course and The Links at Lakewood was his home away from home. He would golf any course in any season, or weather condition, and would go with just about anyone who wanted to go, even Abby (which says a lot about his patience). Although he is deeply missed, Jason is always loved and we pray that he is at peace playing his next round of 18 holes at Augusta in the sky. Surviving are his wife Abby of Sumter; his parents Orley and Teresa Smith of Ohio; his grandparents Paul and Ilene Swingle, of Ohio; a son, Conner Smith and one daughter, Olivia Smith, of Sumter; a brother Josh Smith (wife Amanda), of Ohio; and one niece Aubrey Smith, of Ohio. He is also survived by loving in-laws and a host of lifelong friends. A Memorial Service will be held at 1 P.M. Friday in the Chapel of the Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home with Pastor Delmar Peet officiating. The family will receive friends from 12 P.M. to 1 P.M. Friday at the Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, we would encourage people to donate to the following causes. One in three service members live with PTSD, and struggle to get the mental health care they need. The Wounded Warrior Project provides interactive programs, rehabilitative retreats, and professional services, you can build the resilience you need to overcome mental health challenges, including PTSD, TBI, and more. Jason was a dog lover and our adopted dogs brought him unconditional love, comfort, and support. We actively support the Sumter SPCA. Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386.