James Roy Smith, 1920 – 2003

  Dr. James Roy Smith died on Sept. 8, 2003, at ManorCare in Potomac, Md., and was subsequently buried in Arlington National Cemetery on Chaplain’s Hill. Dr. Smith, a native of Cradock, Va., and resident of Northern Virginia for most of his life, was a pastor and former district superintendent in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church, as well as a chaplain (colonel) in the United States Army.

  He began his ministerial career in 1940 at Westhampton. He was an Army chaplain from 1944 to 1947. He went on to serve as pastor at Ramsey Memorial (Richmond) and then served at First Church (Hopewell). During that period, he and his wife, Bonnie Holley Smith, had three daughters: Anne Holley, Martha Kay, and Janet Claire. In the mid 1950s, he moved to Mount Olivet in Arlington, Va., where, under his leadership, the congregation grew to become one of the largest United Methodist churches in Virginia. Dr. Smith served as senior pastor for 16 years and received 2,900 new members into the church. He founded many of the programs which continue to distinguish Mt. Olivet today within the community, among them the Mt. Olivet preschool program and the Mt. Olivet Foundation.

  He was widely recognized as a leader in the community and was often asked to deliver the word of the Lord outside of his home pulpit. He spoke proudly of having led pre-game prayers for the Washington Redskins and was personally honored to deliver a sermon at the Washington National Cathedral. The fact that he stayed at one church for 16 years is a testament to his success at building and leading a very large congregation. He was also focused on staying in Arlington until all of his daughters graduated from high school. In 1977, he left Mount Olivet and served as superintendent for the Roanoke District before returning to pastoral ministry, where he always believed he best served the Lord. He then served the UMC ministry at Aldersgate (Alexandria), St. Matthews (Annandale) and Larchmont (Norfolk). Roy Smith retired from the ministry in 1986 and moved to Manassas, Va., where he lived for many years.

  Having served in many leadership positions in his own denomination and in interfaith groups, Dr. Smith was particularly active in the work of the military chaplaincy. He was first commissioned as an Army chaplain and served in Europe during WWII. Following release from active duty, he served in the Active Reserve for more than 30 years, retiring with the rank of colonel. He was a three time winner of Freedoms Foundation Awards and also won the George Washington Honor Medal from the Foundation. He conducted preaching missions in the United States, 14 countries of Europe, the Orient, South America, Cuba, and behind the Iron Curtain in Russia, Poland, and East Germany.

  Dr. Smith was a graduate of Randolph-Macon College, the University of Richmond, and the Garrett Theological Seminary, Evanston, Ill. His Doctor of Divinity degree was awarded by Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas. He also served on the board of trustees at Randolph-Macon College. Among his accomplishments are two book publications, God Still Speaks in the Space Age and His Finest Week.

  His wife, Bonnie Holley Smith, formerly from Madrid, Iowa, died in 1993. He is survived by his daughters, Holley Green of Warrenton, Va., her husband Thomas and four grandsons; Martha Schneider of Marietta, Ga., her husband Bob, and two grandchildren; and Janet Schultz of Roswell, Ga., her husband Greg, and two granddaughters. All of his daughters are each celebrating over 20 years of marriage, a direct result of the strong values and Christian upbringing they received from both of their parents.