Mr. Jonah Smith Jr. passed on Monday, October 24. The funeral service will be held on Tuesday, November 1 at Trinity AME Zion Church. The visitation begins at 11 am and the service will follow at 12 noon. Interment will be at Guilford Memorial Park.

Jonah Smith, Jr. was born in Columbia, South Carolina on July 9, 1963, to the late Jonah Smith, Sr. and Alstyne Foreman Smith. He was the oldest of three sons. Jonah was affectionally known by family and friends as "Chip." At age five, Chip and his family moved to Greensboro, NC where he continued his spiritual journey as a member of Trinity AME Zion Church. As a youth member at Trinity, he enjoyed being active with the youth choir, working as an acolyte, and being involved with the Junior Usher Board.

As a pre-teen, Chip attended Aycock Junior High School, located in Greensboro, NC, where he excelled as a quarterback on the football team. Due to his extreme talent as a quarterback, Chip was given awards and was often on the front page of the Greensboro Daily newspaper. Recruiters from the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys were drawn to Chip because of his extraordinary skills. They were so amazed by his expertise that they offered to relocate him to Washington, DC, and Dallas, TX, respectively, so he could be groomed to eventually play for one of these professional teams. Due to an unfortunate injury, Chip was unable to continue in the recruitment process but still remained a loyal football fan until his passing.

After high school, Chip continued to love sports, traveling, going to concerts, and spending time with loved ones. He was a long-time employee of Carolina Steel in Winston Salem, NC, part owner of a cleaning service, and worked the third shift at Rising Phoenix Group Home located in Greensboro, NC until his declining health prevented him from continuing the job he loved so much. As an adult, Chip joined East White Oak Baptist Church located in Greensboro, NC under the spiritual guidance of Bishop B. W. Mittman, Sr. where he was a member until his passing.

On September 29, 2004, Chip was given the gift of welcoming his only child, Megan Jonee' Smith. She meant everything to him, and he loved her with all his heart. Chip gave her the nicknames "Smurf" and "Rooskie" when she was a child, and she will continue to hold those nicknames in her heart forever.

Chip was preceded in death by his father, Jonah Smith, Sr, his paternal grandparents; Ben and Vera Smith, his maternal grandparents; Dan and Earline Foreman, his seven aunts; Rev. Viola "Alzora" Macklin, Ida Saunders, Lilian Cates, Alice Davis, Almeta Baylor, MaeDell Ingram, and Edith Grace Foreman, his six uncles; John Baylor, Nathaniel Saunders, Sr., Remus Davis, Norman Ingram, Sr., Daniel Foreman, Jr, and Herbert Williamson, five cousins; James Atkinson, Darrell Baylor, Retha May Ingram China, Norman Ingram, Jr., and Dorothy Ingram Oaks.

He is survived by his loving daughter, Megan Smith, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC, his mother; Alstyne Smith, Greensboro, NC, two brothers; Gregory Smith (Debbie), Magnolia, DE and Andre Smith, Greensboro, NC, three nephews; Dr. Dominic A. Smith, MD, Harrisburg, PA, Cameron Smith (Sokunthea) Germantown, MD, and Darick Smith, Greensboro, NC, his three nieces; Jasmine Koilor (Richard), Philadelphia, PA, Brianna Smith, Atlanta, GA, and Jada Leonard, Gulfport, MS., four aunts; Edna Mae Foreman and Anna Stallings, Aiken, SC, Charlesanne Foreman, Queens, NY and Emma Foreman Riverside, CA, and a host of cousins, relatives, and friends.