Rodney Jay Smith

Rodney "Jay" Smith went home to Heaven February 19, 2025 in Bellevue, Nebraska at the age of 64 years. He was born April 18, 1960 in Denver, Colorado.

Rodney is preceded in death by his father, Ronald J. Smith.

He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Deana K. Smith; children Joshua (Alicia) Smith, Michael (Aimee) Smith, Daniel (Emily) Smith, and Sarah Smith; mother Sandra S. Smith; grandchildren Titus, Silas, Kyrus, Ronin, and one granddaughter on the way; brothers Jeff (Darla) Smith, Jimmy (Kelly) Smith, and Jerry (Christi) Smith; sister Jody Moynihan; and nieces, nephews, and other family.

Jay was known by most as Mr. Smith or Coach Smith in his 39 years as a middle school science teacher and coach. Thousands of students knew and loved him over the years, from Lawson MO, Canyon Country Cowboys in California, Perryville Pirates in Perryville MO, Carthage Tigers in Carthage MO, and finally Council Bluffs schools, mostly at Kirn Middle school in Iowa. He would always tell his students on the first day of class that he would be their favorite teacher and we firmly believe that was true more often than not. He was an excellent and inspiring teacher that encouraged his students and only wanted the best for them.

He was also a fantastic coach in Track & Field, football, and wrestling. Not only was he a dedicated student of the sport he was coaching, learning, and researching how to help his athletes perform at their best; he also built relationships and inspired them to exceed their goals in all aspects of their lives.

As a father and husband,he displayed leadership, encouragement, and faith in God in everyday tasks. The family home was open to all to play cards, board games, video games, watch a movie, or just hang out to talk. He had a God-given gift of offering correction in love when needed without judgment. He was like a second father to many over the years.

Learning to play disc golf and pickleball was just another way for him to spend time with his family and friends, further building strong bonds and relationships. He loved and cherished all of these times, whether it was just him and one other person or several groups playing together.

After retiring from teaching he remained very busy continuing to learn new things and work on projects. He began making all natural soaps and lotions, stating, 'It's just science- acids and bases.' In true Mr. Smith fashion, he took it to a whole new level. He researched, created spreadsheets with recipes researched some more and balanced equations to make the best all-natural soaps and lotions he could.He also became a beekeeper and enjoyed sharing his honey with others.

Jay and Deana also spent time over the last eight years camping in their RV. They visited National Parks, getting up a few hours before sunrise to capture breathtaking photos, some of which won national awards.

Those that knew Jay for a long time knew that he wasn't one that wanted to appear weak, show vulnerabilities, or ask for help. God did a specific work and asked Jay to share his journey of cancer treatments, including all of the good and bad that came with it. This was not the norm for Jay, but he did this faithfully when prompted by God that he needed to share something. He often said that we shouldn't rob our brothers and sisters of the opportunity to grow in their faith by praying and drawing closer to our Savior.

The evening before Jay passed was spent doing his absolute favorite thing: worshipping his Heavenly Father. This impromptu, several hour session included his wife, all of his children and their spouses, oldest grandchild, and a few close family friends singing worship songs. Even though Jay hadn't spoken much that day, he did raise his arm in worship often throughout this sweet time.

Jay's heart was for everyone to know the vast love of Christ (Ephesians 3:18-19). He was passionate about sharing that love and inviting others to experience it.

In lieu of flowers, If you'd like to support the ministry he cared deeply about-Kingdom Encounters International, which has led over two million to Christ. you can support a mission trip to Tanzania he had hoped to attend with his oldest son.

Give at www.kingdomencounters.us/give or mail a check to:

P.O. Box 2317, Minneola, FL 34755.