Jay Joseph Smith

Do not grieve for me for now am free, traveling the universe and skateboarding from star to star discovering infinite new places and new adventures to be amazed by. Jay “Rock” Smith was born in 1963 in Los Angeles, CA and in 2005 moved to Raleigh, NC where he made his home. His battle with ALS in recent months showed his courage in facing life challenges with grace and a smile; He stayed strong until the end. He was a humble man with a great sense of humor. A couple of his late favorite jokes were: “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. I always wanted to have a ramp in my house and a sponsor and now I’ve got my ramp to get in and out of the house and my wheelchair is sponsored by the ALS association with a sticker in the back: Please, next time, do not forget to be more specific.” While at the ALS clinic visit, we once stayed so late that it appeared that everybody had left and he said, “I used to close bars and now I close clinics.” And it was so true when he said: “never a dull moment when you are with Jay”. He lived his life to the fullest and found joy in so many things, places and people. He was passionate about everything life had to offer, especially skateboarding and extreme outdoor sports. His interest in helping people that did not have a voice led him to join Toastmasters, an association dedicated to providing a learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. In 1983, Jay met his soul-mate Yolanda while on a trip to Peru with his best friend Willy. It was love at first sight. He continued his “pen pal friendship” with 8 years of love letters. Jay was able to reconnect with Yolanda in 1990 while on a trip to Florida. Soon after, they got married in Los Angeles, CA where they started their life together. They formed a beautiful family with their 2 kids Corinna and Andre. Together, they worked very hard to be devoted parents and to raise their kids to be better people and strong, independent citizens that they have been very proud of. Jay had a strong sense of family values that he managed to pass along to his children.  Jay passed away on June 27 th , 2021 at the age of 58 with his wife by his side. Even though his body left us, his heart touched many lives and will stay with us forever. Jay is survived by his wife of 30 years, Yolanda, and their two kids Corinna and Andre and his two brothers, Wayne and Dale. His cheerful attitude, passion for life and bright smile will be missed. Jay will be honored in a memorial celebration on July 16 th , 2021. Visiting hours are from 4-6 p.m. at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, located at 831 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh NC 27604. Jay would have loved that any appreciation to his memory would be expressed by donating to the skate4life non-profit organization based in Raleigh,