DATE: Sunday, June 1, 1997                  TAG: 9706010002

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   36 lines

JOHN A. SMITH SR.

John Anderson Smith Sr., 70, of the 1700 block of Atlantic Ave., died May 27, 1997, in Chesapeake.

He was born in the Hickory section of old Norfolk County and at the age of 13 began working with his dear friend and mentor, Mr. A.W. Overton, whom he loved as a father and faithfully served Overton Supermarkets and Enterprises as a property and warehouse supervisor for 57 years.

A member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in the Berkley area of Norfolk, John served his Lord as a missionary, deacon, Sunday school teacher, singer in the Cathedral Choir and Male Chorus, a member of the Hospitality Committee and the C.C. Bell Brotherhood League. A U.S. Army veteran, he was also a member of the St. Paul's Masonic Lodge.

A devoted husband and special A-1 father and grandfather, he is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Berniece Olds Smith; three daughters, Berniece S. and her husband, the Rev. Finley Jones of Norfolk, Gwendolyn E. Tucker of Chesapeake and Helen S. and her husband, Ricky Vaughan of Chesapeake; a son, John A. Jr. and his wife, Rhita Smith of Fort Polk, La.; four grandchildren, DeJohn A. Smith of Chesapeake, Adrian A. Jones of Norfolk, Kowan O. Reese of District Heights, Md., and Arielle A. Jones of Norfolk; three sisters, Amelia E. Smith and Mary Harrison, both of Norfolk, and Frances Turner of Temple Hill, Md.

A funeral will be conducted at Mount Zion Baptist Church Monday, June 2, at noon by the Rev. Dr. Charles Hart, pastor. Burial will follow in Roosevelt Memorial Park, Chesapeake. The family will receive friends at a Christian Wake today from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Graham Funeral Home, South Norfolk Chapel, and at the residence at all other times. ILLUSTRATION: Photo KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu