Walking through Liberty High School’s Cokely Field House entrance, the fan noise is on mute, and the player dribbling the basketball runs in slow motion. A man sporting a Liberty Letter Jacket, a Liberty North shirt, and a Canon Camera around his neck, looks mesmerized by something he has been a part of for over 47 years. When watching the action with his Liberty Blue Jays, Smith was not afraid to make some noise, and show his face every game day.

“If you are a player or an opponent for the past 47 years at Liberty High School, Jack has been a huge part of the experience. He is a guy that I have developed a friendship with over my time in Liberty. He would root for us, unless we were playing the Blue Jays. He wore the North shirts I gave him with a lot of pride,” Liberty North’s Basketball Head Coach Chris McCabe said.

Jack Smith has been fully committed to serving his alma mater, since graduating from Liberty High School in 1967. Even those who did not know Smith, likely heard of his passing. A “RipJack” hashtag has spread through Twitter newsfeeds, and posts on Facebook in memory of Jack are everywhere, as the social network grew abuzz after the news. It became immediately apparent that Smith’s impact on Liberty Athletics, and the town in general, were obviously very large.

“My freshmen year at Liberty High School, before I went to check in, Jack would talk to me. He would always give me helpful advice on what the other team was doing, or how I should play,” Liberty North Basketball Player Zachary Starr said.

Kind, motivated, generous, humorous, and passionate, all perfectly described the man behind the camera. When Roger Stirtz had an Assistant Coach job opening, Jack Smith was ready. When the boys and girls won state, Smith was there. When the team needed encouragement after a down year, Smith helped re-energized the team. Liberty High School Athletics knew who they could count on, and it never changed.

“How genuine he is and how much he cares about other people really stand out to me. The jokes go on forever. Jack taught the community how to use your strengths, and I think the community is forever indebted to him for that. The biggest thing to me is the amount of people’s life’s he touched. That’s the biggest compliment someone can receive, when you can affect so many people’s lives,” Coach McCabe said.

Funeral services are set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church with burial to follow at White Chapel Memorial Gardens.