Tiry Smith

Tiry E. Smith, 88, of Rockford went into the life to come Saturday, June 1, 2019, in Amberwood Care Center. Born February 12, 1931, in Indianola, IA, the son of Archie and Cecil (Medearis) Smith. Attended Harlem Village Grade School, Harlem High School and attended Rock Valley College. In 1948, Tiry, along with three friends decided to spend the summer out west, in California. They walked from Rockford to Sycamore trying to hitch a ride, yet no one was willing to pick up four 17-year-old kids. Tired from their exhaustively long walk, they came up with the idea of hopping a freight train from Sycamore and riding it out to California. Once they found the train, they loaded themselves into an empty boxcar, which was their “home” for the next 14 days until they reached their sunny destination. They came back to Rockford in October of the same year. This trip was to be the beginning of Tiry’s search for travel and adventure. The trip had put the “Travel Bug” in Tiry. Not forgetting how adventurous the trip to California was, in October of 1948, the “Bug” hit him again. This time he was wanting a bigger, bolder adventure. More travel, more excitement. So; on October 12, 1948, Tiry joined the Army and spent his first 16 weeks of basic training in the 101st Airborne in Breckenridge, KY. After basic training had finished, he was shipped off to Germany on the last train traveling through the Russian zone into the American sector of Berlin, during the time of the “Russian Blockade”. His first set of orders, once stationed, were to check all the shipping manifests of all the cargo coming into the base. The cargo planes were landing and taking off at a rate of 1 every minute. On the 27th of May 1950, he was transferred to Headquarters Company 759 Military Police Battalion, in Berlin, Germany. His new set of duties was now patrolling the Russian Borders. No one was allowed entry into our Sector and no one could cross over to theirs. After 2 years, 3 months and 17 days stationed in Germany, he was finally coming home. On July 15, 1951, Tiry was shipped back Stateside to the U.S.A. and he spent the remainder of his tour of duty stationed in Fort Hood, TX, where he received an honorable discharge from active duty on August 6, 1952, from the U.S. Army. Retired from Greenlee Brothers after 40 years working his way from a class C machine builder to foreman of the department. Served on the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department and Loves Park Fire Department where he worked his way up to the rank of Captain. He was certified by the University of Illinois for public service safety and also the University of Illinois extension of Firemanship training course 1 and 2. He also trained with the American Red Cross for certification of Advanced First Aid, C.P.R. and A.E.D. He worked as a medical assistant for Loves Park Ambulance. He is one of the first to get Patty Certification for search and recovery on the Loves Park Fire Department Dive Team. He took his basic training at the Y.M.X.A and his certification at Pearl Lake to become a scuba diver. Loves Park Alderman for 16 years. He was a Third Degree of Knights of Columbus. Member of St. Bridget Catholic Church where he was usher. Also sang in the St. Stanislaus Church Choir. Member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9759, Consistory Scottish Rite Bodies, Valley of Freeport, Tebala Shrine, American Lombardi Club and Belvidere Moose. Survivors include his wife, Dianne Stuckey-Smith; sons, Tiry J. Smith and Raymond (Janet) Smith; granddaughter, Ericka (Brandon); 2 great-grandsons; numerous nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his first wife of 50 years, Margaret “Marge” (Dolce) Smith; sisters, Laura Holden and Pearl Kelm; and brothers, George and Fred Smith. Special thanks to caregivers Amy, Emily, Mindy, Nicole and Tracy.

Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Friday, June 7, in St. Bridget Catholic Church, 600 Clifford Ave., Loves Park. Entombment in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 6, in Delehanty Funeral Home, Ltd., 401 River Lane, Loves Park, and from 9 to 9:45 a.m. Friday in the church. Memorials to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Poor Clares Monastery.