Obituaries

James (Jimmy) Smith, 47, of Sherman passed away on Saturday, May 13, 2017. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, May 18th at 10am at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Father Jeremy Myers and Father Antonio Aureaus will celebrate Mass and interment will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery. A rosary will be said on Wednesday, May 17th from 6:00 pm until 6:30 pm at Dannel Funeral Home. Visitation will be held after the rosary from 6:30 pm until 7:30 pm. Jimmy was born on May 4, 1970 in Norman, Oklahoma and he graduated from Fred Douglas High School in 1988. Jimmy competed in Special Olympics all the way through his mid 20s. He was a proud member of Boy Scout Troop 85 and made it all the way to the rank of Life Scout. Jimmy remained a faithful Sooner fan his entire life, as well as a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, and the Dallas Mavericks. Jimmy had a great love for music of all kinds, especially songs from the 50’s and Christian music. Although untrained, he at times would sing harmony in his distinctive bass voice. He particularly enjoyed singing and ASL signing. His favorite for that was “Jesus loves me.” From the moment you met Jimmy he was your lifelong friend. He was a devout Catholic but he loved God so much, he embraced worship with all faiths with unparalleled enthusiasm. Jimmy had a special way of relating to children because of his childlike innocence. Family was extremely important to him and he delighted in learning about their activities. He had a unique ability to know when people needed to be prayed for and he wouldn’t say "I'll pray for you." he would stop right there and then and pray. Though he was born with disabilities and lived a life of pain, he always had a smile for all. He dreamed of being a chef or a meteorologist, but his ultimate career was love. His gift lay in sharing love; love of life, faith and acceptance. Jimmy touched the life of everyone he met. Jimmy was preceded in death by his natural mother, Anita Bristor, and his grandparents, Ray and Marilyn Smith, Betty and Andy Wells and Joe Smith. He is survived by his parents, Jim and Joan Smith; 2 sisters: Suzi Hamel and husband Gregg, Kathy Manning and husband Chuck; 3 brothers: Jim Brown and wife Susan, Chris Brown, and Matt Smith; 13 nieces and nephews; 15 grand nieces and nephews and grandmother Anne Smith. In lieu of flowers, in honor of Jimmy and his giving nature, memorials may be made to Special Olympics, St. Mary's St. Vincent DePaul (who assist the needy regardless of faith), St. Mary's School Scholarship Fund, or your personal charity of choice. You may sign the online guestbook at www.dannelfuneralhome.com.