Willie Gerald â??Jerryâ?? Smith was born on June 2, 1949 in Enfield, NC and died on May 22, 2017. A known lover of down home country cooking, 60â??s soul, and a good Western, Jerry was a lively mix of humor, grit, kindness, stubbornness and generosity. He loved telling stories, and was great at making others laugh, even through the toughest times. He could be tough at times, and would never back down from a fight, but turned to mush at the sight of one of his many grandkids, great grandkids, nieces or nephews. Almost every child in the family has stories of how awesome Uncle Jerry was-from dancing around the living room, walking to the corner store for ice cream, learning how to plant vegetables outside in the garden, or getting those first cooking lessons, Uncle Jerry was the best. He was the father of four with his wife Betty Lou Mills: Michelle, Willie â??Juniorâ?? (Judy), Tracy (Don), and Dexter (Manal); as well as the grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 5. A master in the kitchen, nobody made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, or homemade gravy like Jerry. He loved to eat; he loved to laugh; and was determined to walk everywhere he went. Even as his health declined, he was determined to walk to appointments, the store, wherever, as much as he could, whenever he could. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents Laura Mae and Clarence Smith, as well as older siblings Laura Ella and Charles Leon. Left to celebrate and remember their older brother are Carlo, Clarence, Rumel, Emmanuel, as well as a host of nieces and nephews. A memorial service honoring his life will be held at Love and Faith Church on Friday, June 2, 2017 beginning at 1:00 pm.