Hey all...Kerry's five kids here to share some facts, a little humor, and a lot of love for our father in these "final words." Our dad, Kerry Dean Smith (AKA gator, care bear, big boy, and a variety of other nicknames), passed away suddenly on Saturday, June 30, at the age of 51, from a heart attack caused by pancreatic cancer that had just been diagnosed. Though he's left us way too soon, we know that his "life of the party" personality yet stubborn attitude will never be forgotten. The facts...Kerry was the youngest son of 12 to the late Herald "Jake" Smith and Shirley Smith (Swope). He grew up with his siblings, Treasa (Dave) Williams, Scott (Linda) Smith, Ken (Kathy) Smith, Jeff Smith, Mike Smith, Jerry (Connie) Naylor, Rick (Mindy) Naylor, Allen (Michelle) Naylor, Chrystal (Dean) Poling, Hope Smith, and Tina Smith, in Wellington, Ohio. With 11 siblings, he also leaves behind a ton of nephews, nieces, great nephews and great nieces. That brings us to us, his kids. Like we said earlier, there's five of us and to keep things easy to remember, he numbered us 1-5 and we'll list us in that order. Kaitlin is married to Rick McGuffie and they are raising Kerry's most prized possession, his granddaughter Charlotte. Jordan was just married in New Zealand to his soulmate that he met on his travels abroad, Xenia. Jocelyn is his other adventurer and is about to begin her biggest adventure yet by bringing Kerry's first grandson into the world. Ashlyn is preparing for graduation from Ashland University and is sure to be the next great mathematician. Finally, Adelyn. She's making her mark in Cincinnati and will surely make our dad proud when she invents the next medical device with her biomedical engineering degree. As good of a father as he was to all of us, what hurts the most is that he left before having the chance to become the best grandfather any of us could ask for. Without a doubt, we know how proud of us he was. We are who we are today because of him and our mother, his wife of over 20 years, Michele Smith. While we're talking about the facts, here's a few more. Kerry has been a member of the Wellington Fraternal Order of the Eagles #2051 for over 20 years, leading the charge as president from 2013-14. It's here that so many of his friendships began and continued to grow over those 22 years. It was truly his home away from home and easily became our meeting spot whenever we came to visit. Kerry was a concrete finisher for most of his life and we could see the pride he had for that work. Throughout his life, he instilled in us the importance of what hard work means. "Work smarter, not harder," is what he would always say. Although for him, we're not sure there was much of a difference. Always working more hours or another side job, we wish he could have spent more time with us at times, but we know he was doing all he could to support us as we never needed for anything and couldn't be prouder of what he helped us all achieve. From home, to work, to his extracurriculars, there was one characteristic that shined through it all. His humor and zest for life. If you know our dad, you know he was a funny guy - at least he thought so, so why tell him any different? If you didn't know him, we can assure you, you've heard him. He tended to be the loudest guy in the room and had the most contagious laugh. He could easily be found at one of his favorite spots in Wellington - the club, the VFW, or Fort's Tavern; causing trouble, no doubt! No matter where he was, he always made anyone he met feel like family. In his words, "I'm here to have a good time." He loved golf, bowling, poker, softball, hunting, black licorice, drink tokens, twizzlers, white tennis shoes, and captain. Not necessarily in that order. He hated tomatoes, "Ice Ice Baby," getting dressed up, and mice. Finally, we'll end with some love. He lived a life full of love. Love for his children and grandchildren, love for his family, and love for his friends. He will be greatly missed by all. There will be a Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 15 starting at 5:00 p.m. at the Wellington Eagles located at 631 South Main St., Wellington, OH 44090. Bring your memories and funny stories to share! In lieu of flowers, we appreciate any donations to cover expenses that await us after our father's sudden departure. We also encourage any and all to share with us stories and memories at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com.