John Mark Smith

John Mark Smith, age 35, passed away Friday afternoon, September 5, 2014, in Pope, Mississippi. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, September 9, 2014, at 2:00 at Liberty Hill Baptist Church with interment immediately following in Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. Brother Derrick Simmons will be officiating the services. The Smith family will receive friends Monday evening, September 8, 2014, at Wells Funeral Home from 5:00-8:00. John Mark was born to Billy and Virginia Anne Smith on May 15, 1979, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was a graduate of South Panola High School, Class of 1998, and worked the last eighteen years for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. While in high school, he was very active in the FFA. During his spare time John Mark enjoyed cutting grass, hunting, cooking (especially grilling) and eating out at restaurants. John Mark was a faithful and active member of Liberty Hill Baptist Church where he enjoyed playing on the church softball team. Those John Mark leaves behind to cherish his memory include his loving wife, Ashley Ellis Smith of Pope, Mississippi; two daughters, Virginia Rose Smith and Mae Claire Smith both of Pope, Mississippi; father, Billy Smith of Pope, Mississippi; one sister, Elizabeth Anne Smith of Pope, Mississippi; one aunt, Joy Branyon of Lighthouse Point, Florida; two uncles, Sammy Smith of Batesville, Mississippi, and Calvin Smith of Sylva, North Carolina. John Mark was preceded in death by his mother, Virginia Anne Smith. The Smith Family request that memorial donations be made to either the Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery Fund or the National Kidney Foundation. Donations can be made via mail: National Kidney Foundation Finance Department,30 East 33rd St., New York, NY 10016 or by following this link Kidney Foundation .