E. Gregory “Greg” Smith, Jr. Obituary (1931

Mr. E. Gregory Smith, Jr., known as Greg, died on December 28, 2019 in Sun City West, AZ. He was 88 years old. Greg is survived by his beloved partner of 34 years, Isabelle Gold, children Gregory S. Smith and Robin L. Tague, stepchildren Barbara Gold, Alan Gold and Leslie Gold, and grandchildren Piper Smith and Ruby Smith. He was predeceased by his parents, Edmund G. Smith and Dorothy L. Smith, his sister Doris L. Van Camp, and his grandson Jake Tague. Born in Montclair, NJ, Greg grew up in Cedar Grove, NJ, spending many years in Verona, NJ, Holmdel, NJ and Santa Barbara, CA prior to moving to Surprise, AZ in 2003. He attended Bloomfield High School where he was on the trampoline team and later graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a degree in marketing. Greg served with the US Army and Army Reserves from 1952 to 1960. During the Korean War he served as a radio operator and reached the rank of sergeant. He liked to tell his kids how his unit was just over the hill from where the 4077th was based in M*A*S*H. His career was in advertising, working for a number of New York agencies, where he worked his way up to a vice presidency. One of his personal career highlights came when he was managing the Piper Aircraft account and had the opportunity to take advertising photos from the open door of a small plane flying over Venezuela. Later he enjoyed taking flying lessons during his time in California. Before his retirement in 1997, Greg spent seven happy years working at the Daily News Sun, now the Daily Independent, in Sun City, AZ. He will be remembered for his love of photography and airplanes, his dry humor and enthusiasm for laughter, and his distinctive mustache - as well as his love for his family. Services will be held in the Prout Funeral Home (www.proutfuneralhome.com), 370 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ on Thursday January 9th. Visitation from 10 am to 12 pm, with a memorial service at 12 pm, followed by Burial at the Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover, NJ. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society, PO Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123 or American Lung Association, National Direct Response Headquarters, 1200 Hosford Street, Suite 101, Hudson, WI 54016-9316 would be appreciated.