Obituary of J. Brian Smith

J. Brian Smith passed away on March 11, 2014 at his home in Falls Church. He was 64 years old. He was born in Sudbury, MA in 1950, and although lived most of his life in the D.C. area, his enthusiasm for the Boston Red Sox and Celtics never waned. As a young man, he began his career as Press Secretary to House Republican Leader John J. Rhodes (R-AZ) and worked in this capacity throughout the historic debate over the impeachment of President Nixon. Around this time, he also co-founded his company, Smith & Harroff, a public affairs, advertising and campaign-consulting firm located in Alexandria, Virginia, where he managed campaigns for a variety of causes and prominent political figures, including U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona and the “Tobacco-Free Kids” campaign against Big Tobacco to name a few. In 2005, Smith wrote John J. Rhodes: Man of the House, a biography of the late House leader who passed away in 2003. His book was one of three finalists in the 2006 Benjamin Franklin Awards competition in the category Best New Voice (Nonfiction). Aside from an impressive career, he was also a devoted father to his four children and two-step children from his second marriage. He loved spending his summers in Cape May, NJ and playing golf with his close friends. He was a wealth of knowledge and could converse for hours, usually with cigar in hand, on any topic, whether it was current world affairs, JFK trivia, or all things Frank Sinatra. He was a loving husband and primary caregiver to his wife, Patty Smith, who passed away at the young age of 59 in August 2013 after a long fight with Alzheimer’s disease. During their final years together, Jay and Patty worked tirelessly to help raise awareness of this illness. Jay Smith is survived by a daughter Maris Caitlin Smith of New York, three sons, Daniel Mark Smith of Virginia Beach, VA, Brian MacDonald Smith of Washington, D.C. Michael David Smith of Alexandria, VA, two step-children Matthew Krieger of St. Joseph, Michigan and Whitney Krieger of New York; a sister Jerilyn Ann Smith of Washington, CT, and a brother James Craig Smith Glenside, PA of along with Catherine Healy, his wife from a previous marriage. The family will hold a memorial service on April 27th at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C. at 11am. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association: www.alz.org.