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James, or Jim, as people called him, gave her his spare car. Not to borrow. To keep, she said. And his generosity didn’t stop there. “If I worked late, he’d hand me $100 and say, ‘Hey, go feed your family,’” Lisa said. As her employer, Jim was lenient, understanding and flexible with work hours, Lisa said. He worried about his employees and kept everyone working during the pandemic, she added. “He treated me like a niece, and I looked at him like an uncle,” Rodgers said. “He was a great mentor.” Pictured with the "Blues Brothers" are Dave Quas (left) and James V. Smith (Photo provided)
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Jan Smith of Shorewood (pictured with Jim) said Jim was made “of many layers” and that every layer was good. She said he “always acted like a gentleman” and was “just the nicest guy.” Still, Jan didn't think they were compatible at first. "He only dated professional ice skaters," Jan said. "And I only liked ice in my drink." Their first date was a St. Patrick’s Day parade. At the time, Jim managed an ice skating rink in the Naperville area and coached hockey, Jan said. Jim was a “beautiful skater” and a “really good hockey player,” but he stopped playing after they were married. “He had already started his real estate business,” Jan said. “And he wanted to focus on his business. Jim and Jan were married on Sept. 16, 1985, never knowing that on their 31st anniversary, Jim would be in the intensive care unit battling COVID-19. Jim also turned 72 in the ICU and died on Sept. 23 she added. “He was just a good, good man,” Jan said. “My life was certainly blessed because of him, and I knew many other people who said the same thing.” (Photo provided)
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Rowland Davis of Manhattan would be one of them. Rowland said he and Jim were best friends for 65 years, even though they only attended one year of school together – Rowland was a senior at Joliet East High School when Jim was a junior. They enjoyed the same activities (tennis, horseback riding, golf, baseball) and both valued honesty and integrity, Rowland said. "We understood each other," Rowland said. After Jim graduated college, he was an officer in the Army, Rowland said. Rowland recalled the day when Jim decided to move his appraising business from Naperville to Joliet. Jim even bought a building on Ottawa Street, insisting that Joliet was the place to be, Rowland said. Jim liked working and he worked very hard, he said. “He had the highest commercial appraisal rating you could have,” Rowland said. “He went to classes continually to keep up with stuff.” (Shaw Media)
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Rowland said Jim's credibility in the appraisal field was well-known. He was often called as an expert witness in divorce cases and spent plenty of time studying the cases. But then, Jim liked structure and he didn’t like change. “He never went anywhere unprepared,” Rowland said. “In everything, he was well-prepared.” Rowland recalled the time when Jim offered to go with his family to appeal a tax increase in a piece of commercial property they owned. “Two minutes after Jim walked in, she [the appraiser] said, ‘I didn’t know he was working with you,’ and she approved it,” Rowland said. Rowland said Jim had a strict set of rules for living life and he didn't deviate from them. “He had an unbelievable memory for the good and for the bad,” Rowland said. “If you did something he thought was unethical or immoral, you were done. He wasn’t going to befriend you anymore. He had a strong moral compass. Nobody questioned his integrity or honesty." (Photo provided)
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Jim supported local fundraisers and events, ate in locally owned restaurants and developed real estate in Joliet, owning up to 15 properties at one time, Rowland said. “He did everything he could to promote Joliet,” Rowland said. According to his obituary, Jim was a 29-year member of Joliet Rotary Club and had perfect attendance. He had also served on the board of directors for the Greater Joliet Area YMCA for 20 years. Jim was a member of the Rialto Square Theatre board of directors. He served as board chair and as a key member of the Rialto Foundation Board, his obituary also said. He was also a board member for the Joliet Historical Museum, City Center Partnership, and for the Will County Center for Economic Development, his obituary said. “He loved what they all stood for,” Jan said. “He did his best to make those places better. He just really, really loved his community.” Rowland said Jim rebuilt distressed housing, rented it and then made it easy for tenants to buy it. If anyone Jim knew, including his employees “ran into hard times,” Jim would help them out, even finding, or providing, affordable housing, Rowland said. "People would come up to me and say, 'If it wasn't for Jim, we would not have had Christmas,' and things like that," Jan said. But Jim didn’t brag about his benevolence. “He was very humble,” Rowland said. Pictured from left are Bob Filotto, president of the Rialto board, Jim Roolf, president of Firste Midwest Bank and James V. Smith. (Photo provided)
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In 2017, Jim received the certificate of training for the Master 100 Ton US CAPT 289 course, according to a news release from US Captain’s Training, a U.S. Coast Guard approved training organization, headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan. Jim subsequently applied for, and was granted, the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential-Master 50 GRT Near Coastal license, the release also said. “The next challenge would probably be some marinas along the Illinois or Des Plaines saying, ‘Hey would you bring some boats to Chicago for us?’” Jim said in a 2017 Herald-News story. “I think you have to crawl before you can walk. But the point is, we know what we’re doing now. We know the rules of the road and we’re licensed to do so.” Pictured above are boat enthusiasts David Ferro (left) and James V. Smith after they were granted the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Credential-Master 50 GRT Near Coastal license. (Photo provided)
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Rowland said Jim’s retirement plan was to sail people to Florida on a yacht. Jim, a member of the Joliet Yacht Club, like spending time on his yacht during the weekends, he aid. “When he was on his boat, he would just lay back and just totally relax. That was euphoria to him,” Jan said. “If the boat wasn’t moving, he didn’t mind. He’d just sit on the dock and watch the water.” Sometimes, he brought work with him, too. “He just liked working,” Rowland said. “He’d take an appraisal with him on the boat and write it up.” Above, James V. Smith (left) and David Ferro admire a 50-foot cabin cruiser at the Chicago Boat, RV & Strictly Sail Show, which was held Jan. 11 to Jan. 15 2017 at McCormick Place in Chicago. (Photo provided)
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When traveling, Jim studied the culture and tried to blend into it. He mowed his own grass. He looked after Rowland’s sister when Rowland was out of town and regularly walked an elderly neighbor’s dog after her husband died. “He invested heavily in his own [mutual fund] and he did quite well with it,” Rowland said. “His main concern was that his wife would be taken care of.” To feature someone in "An Extraordinary Life," contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com. (Photo provided)