James Preston Smith, Jr., known as Jimmy to his family and friends, gained his angel wings on Monday, July 18, 2022, at his home in Nashville, TN, surrounded by family. His family is at peace, knowing that he is no longer in pain or suffering from his multiple health conditions.
Jimmy was born on July 27, 1954. He was the second child, and only son, of James Preston and Virginia Pearl Phillips Smith.
He grew up in south Nashville near many of his family members. He attended Central High School until its closure in 1971 and then, graduated from Hume-Fogg Vocational Technical High School in 1973.
He worked at Sunbeam Bakery for over a decade before getting a job with Metro Water Services in 1988. Jimmy continued his employment with Metro Water Services until his declining health forced him to take a disability retirement in 2004.
Jimmy was an incredible and loving father. He was a “girl dad”. He was their provider, teacher, coach and even their Girl Scout leader. He didn’t know how to be a woman, but with a little help along the way, he reared some amazing women.
From before he was a teenager, Jimmy was intrigued by professional wrestling. He loved to spend his free time involved with the sport. He sold programs at the old Hippodrome to get his foot in the door. He went on to provide security at the Fairgrounds Coliseum, travel to small towns and assembled the ring for shows and even became the announcer, which he recently told us was one of his best memories and achievements.
He worked with multiple organizations and promoters such as Ms. Christine Jarrett and family with CWA and USWA, the Gulas family, Mike Porter, Bert Prentice, Tony Faulk, Reno Riggins and others until his health kept him from attending shows. He shared this love with his daughters and grandsons and could hold conversations about professional wrestling for hours on end.
Jimmy began having cardiac issues in his early to mid-30s. Throughout the years, he had multiple stents placed, suffered several mild heart attacks and had a defibrillator pacemaker placed. Jimmy’s heart health continued to decline and in late 2009, it was determined that he needed a heart transplant. Jimmy was blessed with this miracle on April 25, 2010. By 2016, Jimmy was in renal failure and had to be placed on dialysis. Dialysis cleanses the body of toxins, but it stresses one’s body, too. And after six years of hemodialysis, each treatment was stressing Jimmy’s body and causing more harm than benefit.
Jimmy decided that quality of life mattered more than the quantity of life and entered hospice care on July 3, 2022. Despite the odds being against him, he surpassed the averages and was granted more than 12 additional years on this earth when he received his heart donation. Organ donation truly saves lives!
James passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of July 18, 2022.
James Preston Smith, Jr, was preceded in death by his parents, James Preston and Virginia Pearl Phillips Smith; sister and brother-in-law, Patricia and Mike White; a grandnephew and several cousins.
He is survived by daughters, Letitia (Shawn) Carie and Connie Gail Melissa Smith; grandsons, Dominic, Preston and Ian Carie; Aunt Brenda Campbell; niece, Crystal (William) Bryant; nephew, Michael (Kassie) White; grandnephews, Austin Bryant and Adam and Jax White and grandpup, Digger. Pallbearers will be friends and family. Honorary pallbearers will be extended family and wrestling friends and associates.
Special thanks to Dr. Mark Wigger and the Vanderbilt heart transplant team for the many years of care and support, to Vanderbilt Dialysis Center East staff members for care during his years of dialysis treatments, to Pat Smith for care assistance and to Alive Hospice for care and support during this time.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, July 23, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Road by Wendell Byrd. Interment Spring Hill Cemetery. Family and friends will serve as Pallbearers. Visitation will be Friday, July 22, 2022, from 2-8 p.m. and Saturday, July 23, 2022, from 10-11 a.m. at Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, 615-331-1952. https://www.woodbinefuneralhome.com
For more obituaries visit https://davidsoncountysource.com/obituaries/
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