John Wesley Smathers Sr.

John Wesley Smathers, Sr., 90, of Candler was called home February 8th, 2025. He now joins his late wife, Betty Lou London Smathers who passed in 2016. John and Betty were blessed with 3 children, John Wesley, Jr., Tina, and Leigh Anne; 7 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. John was a Korean War veteran and a retired master mechanic. There wasn’t anything that John couldn’t fix. He and his father-in-law, Jack London, operated London’s Garage for a number of years in Upper Hominy. He volunteered with the Upper Hominy Fire Department keeping residents safe. He also had a passion for leather working, making belts and of course “round tuits” that he and Betty proudly gave to everyone as a reminder to not put things off in life but to “get around to it”. While Betty was alive, they rode their Honda Goldwing motorcycle all over North America exploring, meeting new people, and collecting chapter pins from the many Goldwing Clubs they visited along the way. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Vasculitis Foundation, the American Heart Association or the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. John’s life will be honored with a memorial service on Saturday, February 15th, 2025, at 11:00 am at Piney Mountain United Methodist Church, 15 Piney Mountain Church Road, Candler, NC 28715. Friends and family will be received at 10:30 am prior to the memorial service.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Wesley Smathers Sr., please visit our floral store.