John Allen Smith, 87, of Wauseon, Ohio passed away on June 7, 2024. He was born on August 30, 1936 in Indiana. John was compassionate with a great sense of humor. He was a dedicated father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and neighbor.

Raised in a large family in Indiana, John struggled through adversity to become very independent. At age 19, he fell deeply in love with his wife of over 50 years, Nancy, who introduced him to his Lord and Savior, Jesus. This changed the trajectory of his life in a major way. John left his work as a railroad worker and moved from Indiana to Wauseon. He began to attend Central Mennonite Church. There he volunteered many hours as a Sunday School teacher and as a carpenter.

John spent over 60 years working as a construction worker. He worked briefly at Wauseon Woodworking and later founded his own company, John Smith Construction.  Anyone who drove around with John could hear many stories of his work on countless homes and buildings in the Fulton and Lucas County areas.

Along with raising his biological and adopted children, John and Nancy fostered over 20 children as well. The home that John and Nancy built was also opened to many other people over the years.

John created lasting memories with his loved ones by taking his children camping, fishing, motorbike racing, and swimming.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, and daughter, Kathy. He is survived by his 2 sisters, Carol Adkinson and Helen (Dolly) Feryo; two brothers, Richard (Sandy) Smith and David Smith; in-laws, Edward and Millie Roth; and 6 children: Steve (Jeanette), Kirby (Lynette), Penny (Tim), Jim, Kamal, and Carl (Michelle), along with a large extended family of cherished foster children and near-children, including many nieces and nephews. John's legacy lives on through his 18 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren (for now) who will always cherish the time spent with their beloved patriarch.

A Memorial Service will be held at Central Mennonite Church, 21703 St. Rt. 2, Archbold, Ohio on Sunday, June 16, at 1:00 pm to honor and celebrate John's life. John will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his memory will forever remain in the hearts of those he touched. The family suggests that memorials be given to Sunshine Children's Home or Central Mennonite Church.

A live stream of the service can be found at https://www.facebook.com/centralmennonite