On the 22nd of December, 2023, John Smith, who was 91 years old and lived in Newark, Delaware, passed away peacefully in the comfort of his own home, surrounded by his extended family. John Szmilyk was the seventh child of Anna and Stephen Szmilyk, who both immigrated to the United States from Ukraine while they were still alive. His birthday is December 29th, 1931, and he spent his boyhood on the farm that his family owned close to Elkton, on the state of Maryland. Jackson Hall was a school house that was well-known for having only one room and less than fifteen students.
John attended this school house. The Elkton High School in Elkton, Maryland, and the Conrad High School in Wilmington, Delaware, were the two schools where he completed his high school career. After that, John went on to complete his undergraduate education at the University of Delaware, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a language minor in German studies. It was in 1953 when he was drafted into the United States Army. He served his country for more than a year, with a significant portion of his service being spent overseas in Germany. After receiving encouragement from his friends to go on a date with Janice Whiteley in 1962, John was able to meet the woman who would become the love of his life.
Marriage took place on October 12, 1963, and the couple eventually made their home in Newark, Delaware, where they remained together for the rest of their lives. They went on their honeymoon to New England and Canada, both of which are places that they had grown to love over the course of their sixty years of marriage and have since returned to with their children and grandkids. In 1965, they became parents to Jennifer, and in 1966, they brought Stephanie into the world. During their most memorable years together as a family, they spent the summer camping at Treasure Beach, which is located near Fenwick Island, Delaware.
Over the course of more than thirty years, John served as the Assistant Vice President of Branch Operations for the Bank of Delaware, during which time he witnessed the bank’s transformation into PNC State Bank. John was able to take his family on numerous road trips in their 1972 Chevrolet Impala to attend conferences hosted by the American Institute of Banking. This was made possible by the fact that John had a successful career. His coworkers thought of him as dependable, kind, and diligent; he continued to exhibit all of these characteristics right up until the moment he passed away. Even after he retired, John continued to take pleasure in having lunch with his former coworkers at Cafe Napoli at regular intervals.
In addition to being a proud member of the Kiwanis Club, he continued to give back to his community by assisting in the accounting of the money that was collected during the Christmastime Red Kettle Campaign by the Salvation Army. When John traveled to Europe on multiple occasions, he had the opportunity to experience the privilege of returning to his roots. The “Grand Tour of Europe” was a trip that John took with his wife, two sisters, his brother-in-law, and most importantly, his niece. A portion of the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, and England were among the places that they visited during their time there. The fact that John and his brother-in-law, Jack, were able to return to many of the locations where they had been stationed during their time in the military made this journey an exciting one for both of them.
In the years that followed, John and his daughter Jennifer traveled back to Europe, where they were able to reunite with his numerous relatives who lived in Poland. One of the most notable ways in which these relationships were maintained until John’s departure was by the sending of large gifts to John’s family from Poland and Australia, which they were able to enjoy over the Christmas season. John was well-known for a variety of activities, but his gardening and cooking abilities were particularly noteworthy. In the event that you invited the Smiths to their house for supper, you could rest assured that they would have freshly baked rolls ready for you. The ability to open the cabinet or refrigerator and put together a delectable supper was a talent that John inherited from his mother.
John was able to carry out this ability with ease. During the holiday season, Janice was tasked with the responsibility of preparing her well-known eggnog, while John was responsible for preparing shrimp stew. Despite the fact that several members of his family had moved away, his family made it a point to celebrate the holidays with this lunch each and every year. In the event that you were unclear of what plant had started to grow in your backyard, John was the person you should call. He was also the one who knew the specific procedures that needed to be taken in order to ensure that the plant continued to thrive. As his family waited in eager anticipation for the flowers and other plants that he had worked so hard and proudly on to bloom in the spring, his house was surrounded by flowers and other plants that he had worked on.
It was very evident that John was not only well-read but also invested in the story that you were telling when you were having a conversation with him. John maintained his sharpness right up until the moment he passed away. He was a watcher, and you could frequently see the pride and admiration that he felt for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He was a watcher. It is possible that John and his family would be found in Wilmington on the Riverfront having supper together if there was a birthday that needed to be celebrated. When John was surrounded by his loved ones, he experienced joy and contentment. “PopPop” was the name that he was most proud of, despite the fact that many people knew him by his given name.
John served as a model of resilience for his family on a number of occasions, but particularly during the two different battles he fought against cancer. When John was dealing with both of these difficulties, the Helen F. Graham Center in Newark, Delaware provided him with great quality of treatment. On numerous occasions, he made jokes about the fact that he was not present for his chemotherapy treatment but rather for their iconic warm blankets. John was able to spend more time with his family, which was his top priority, as a result of the care that was provided by Dr. Neil Hockstein, Dr. Dhaval Shah, and their respective teams.
Stella Smith, Katie Smith, Michael Smith, Mary Nardo, and Julie Tobin were John’s siblings who passed away before him. His parents were also among those who came before him in our lives. He is survived by his devoted wife of sixty years, Janice Whiteley Smith; his daughters, Jennifer Hogan of Newark, Delaware and Stephanie Prouse of Milford, Delaware; his sister, Helen Harris of Wilmington, Delaware; his grandchildren, Brent Prouse (Elisa) of Conestoga, Pennsylvania, Katie Hogan (Jon Sabatino) of Elkton, Maryland, Jordan Prouse of Milford, Delaware, and Payton Smith of Avondale, Pennsylvania; and his great-grandchildren, Brody and Layla Prouse.
