Speakers included Jack's brother, Chris Smith; long-time friend Scott Olson; friends Candace Cameron and Rgie Tandoc, and veteran community advocates Dan Pressburg, Annie Greenfeld and Gary Shelton (co-organizers with Mr. Smith of Better Balance for Long Beach and its nationally recognized, award winning "One Day Christmas Store -- Shopping With Dignity.")

To hear their heartfelt words in extended VIDEO coverage, click here.

Mr. Smith went from work as rocket scientist, to winning an Academy Award for a computer-enabled technical achievement to devoting countless uncompensated hours to creative and compassionate projects benefiting Long Beach and its residents.

Mr. Smith co-founded (and came up with the name for) "Better Balance for Long Beach," the independent grassroots group that spurred City Hall officialdom to clean up and add amenities to a street median along 14th St. from Chestnut Ave. to just east of Locust Ave. that residents called "14th St. Park."

Mr. Smith went on to co-create the nationally-recognized "One Day Christmas Store -- Shopping With Dignity" that gave families of limited means an opportunity to "shop" for familymembers, choosing from among items purchased with generous donations from individuals and businesses. The uplifting event (in which Mr. Pressburg, Ms. Greenfeld and Mr. Shelton were active participants) won national recognition in 2011 from Neighborhoods USA, and received plaudits from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the CA Assembly, L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe and the City of Long Beach.

Among community advocates and public figures we recognized in the audience (not a complete list) were Alan Tolkoff, Jennifer Beaver, retired 9th dist. Councilman/retired Vice Mayor Val Lerch, Candace Mead, Brophy Dale, Gavin McKiernan, Don Darnauer, Joen Garnica, Chuck Fowler, John Taeleifi and Dan Halverson.

Dan Pressburg, a co-founder with Annie Greenfeld and Mr. Smith of Better Balance for Long Beach, speaks at Mr. Smith's memorial

An online effort continues at this link to cover the costs of the memorial with the balance slated to go to BBLB to help fund the Christmas Store 2017 in Jack's honor. To join in the effort, click here.

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Mr. Smith ran for the City Council in the 2010 election cycle and offering well-reasoned proposals in an uphill effort against better-funded establishment candidates.

On Oct. 11, 2016, Mr. Smith delivered what would be his final Council words. On October 4, Mayor Garcia responded to increasing visible vagrants, anti-social behaviors and neighborhood impacting crimes by staging a City Council "study session" on homelessness. After much talk, the "study session" ended with no firm commitment to do much more than is being done now. A week later, Mr. Smith came to the City Council Chamber and waited over an hour and half to speak for 180 seconds during public comment on non-agendized items. He stated in specific terms what he believed City Hall should do and didn't flinch at stating political incorrectitudes, stressing the need to focus on behavior and not status, to listen to homeless persons (not just to "service providers," "experts" and city staff) and cited the need for political will.

To hear Mr. Smith's final Council words, click here.

Mr. Smith passed away suddenly in mid-December. He would have turned 65 on Dec. 12.

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The City Council adjourned its Dec. 20 meeting in Mr. Smith's memory (action requested by Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez; Mr. Smith was a 1st district constituent) and Councilman Daryl Supernaw and Mayor Robert Garcia also extended their condolences to Mr. Smith's family. Councilwoman Gonzalez was a scheduled speaker at the Jan. 14 memorial for Mr. Smith but didn't attend. (LB's Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade was scheduled to end roughly an hour before the 90 minute memorial began.) Olivia Silva Maiser, Special Assistant to LB City Auditor Laura Doud, attended the memorial event.

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