John Wesley Smith

John Wesley Smith, 76, of Terre Haute, passed away on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Cobblestone Crossings Health Campus. Born on July 12, 1949, in Terre Haute to Robert Wesley Smith and Marjorie May Huffman Smith, he lived a life marked by service, dedication, and quiet strength.

After graduating from Garfield High School in 1967, John joined the Navy and was detached to the Marines, serving three tours in Vietnam as a corpsman. He later attended Indiana State University while working as a respiratory therapist at Union Hospital. On December 20, 1971, he married Jo Ann Dowell. In 1971, he began his long career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons as a physician’s assistant, serving in Washington State, Lexington, Kentucky, and retiring from the Terre Haute facility after 33 years. He found joy in reading, music, cheering for Notre Dame football and the Chicago Cubs, and most of all, spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his children, Jacqueline Ann Morse (Brian) and Shawn Wesley Smith (Catherine); grandchildren, Jacob Morse, Riley Morse, and Megan Morse; brother, Timothy Smith (Susan); sisters, Martha Smith and Elizabeth Stevenson (Alan); brother-in-law, Terry Dowell (Anna Lee); sister-in-law, Lynn Dowell; and several nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by his wife, Jo Ann Smith; his parents; his sister, Ada Ruth Short; and his nephew, Michael Short.