BOONE, Iowa—John S. Smith, A Hall of Fame baseball coach and teacher at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC), resident of Boone, Iowa since 1967, but born and raised near Burke, South Dakota, passed away peacefully at home from Acute Myeloid Leukemia, on Wednesday, April 23, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. He was 86 years old.
John was born in Burke, South Dakota on May 2, 1938. He served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1959. He married his sweetheart, Connie on May 28, 1961. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in business from South Dakota State Teachers at Springfield, SD in 1961, and his Master’s Degree of Education from University of Northern Colorado in 1964. He and Connie taught high school at Lake Andes High School in south Dakota while they worked on their Masters degrees together. His son Jon Paul was born on May 4, 1966. His son Scot was born in Boone in 1970. He became one of the first faculty members at DMACC in 1967 where he taught business, accounting, and business until he retired in 2007, but worked as an adjunct instructor until 2017. John took over as the baseball coach at DMACC in 1974 until 2007.
In his tenure he coached over six hundred players, where eighty five percent went on to complete their baccalaureate degrees (a testament to his commitment to academics) at four-year colleges after they graduated from DMACC, seventy-eight players were drafted or signed by professional teams, three of which reached the major leagues. John was inducted into the National Junior College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995 while compiling 876 wins along the way.
John was a very devout Christian and was a parishioner at Trinity Lutheran Church from the time he moved to Boone until his passing. He served on church committees, and continually volunteered at the church in many different capacities through the years. His faith and spirituality was the most important thing in his life and it led him always to helping others, and maintaining a great attitude to everyone that was in his community of people.
DMACC was more than his place of work, it was his second home, and he and Connie have supported everything to do with the college for the last fifty-eight years. Each day began with coffee and visits at the Courter Center which was two hundred yards from their back door. Impacting young people was more passion….it defined his life. John will be deeply missed by all of those that were in his life, and in his very large universe. Most of all his family.
John is survived by his wife Connie; his sons Jon Paul, and Scot; his grandchildren, Britainy Short, Reagan Smith, Charlotte Pickard, Whitney Pickard, Ben Pickard, Madilyn Smith, and Jonah Smith; his great grandchildren, Adella Short and Brooks Short; his brother, Merlin; many nieces, nephews, and sister-in laws.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Trinity Lutheran Church, with Pastor Jessten Heimer officiating. Interment will be at Linwood Park Cemetery in Boone, with Military Honors provided by the Boone Veterans Council. Following the committal service, there will be a reception at 2:30 p.m. at the Courter Center at Des Moines Area Community College in Boone. Visitation with the family present to greet friends will be on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Schroeder-Stark-Welin Funeral Home.
Memorial donations can be made to Trinity Lutheran Church and the Des Moines Area Community College-Boone Campus general scholarship fund.
The Schroeder-Stark-Welin Funeral Home, 609 7th Street, Boone, Iowa is assisting the family with these arrangements.
John Smith, 86, Boone, Iowa
