With heavy hearts and faithful spirits, the family of Jeffery Dale Smail announces he now walks in Heaven.
Jeff was born to Chester Smail, Sr. and Beverly June Reed in Omaha, Nebraska. The third boy of five children, Jeff grew up playing and working on the farm with his brothers Chet, Dan, John and his sister Jenny. Jeff went on to seminary school in California to become a pastor.
Jeff married Tammy Hinkle in 1985 and moved to Lebanon, where they had two daughters, Kristin and Sara. Jeff supported the family as a long-haul truck driver. While on the road, he would preach at truck stops and hold services for his fellow travelers. Eventually Jeff found work closer to his family and he built them a farm home where the girls grew up riding horses. He served as the pastor of God’s Lighthouse Church in Albany, and he enjoyed long rides on his motorcycle through Oregon’s forests, diving for crabs in Newport, and bowling.
After the girls grew up, Jeff married Glenda Spencer in 2009 and moved to Springfield. Jeff and Glenda went to plays and concerts, traveled to Alaska, Mexico and the Caribbean, and became foundations of support for their church communities. Jeff traveled twice to Nepal; he felt called to help after the 2015 earthquake so he brought supplies and preached of the love of God.
Jeff lived for his family. He found great joy fishing with his grandsons Caelan and Alec, and bringing the family together for home-cooked meals. He lived as a servant of God, and all would say he had a good heart and inspired faith. His family will arrange a celebration of life when gatherings are safe.
