Jesse Ray Smart

Jesse R. Smart, age 84, and former Mayor of Bloomington, IL, passed away on Friday, August 25, 2023, at 12:58 AM in Glendale, AZ, where he had resided for the past two years. His funeral service will be 10:30 AM Wednesday September 6, 2023, at College Park Christian Church, 116 N Cottage Ave., Normal IL. Rev. Brent Salm will be officiating. Burial will be at be at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Stanford, IL. Visitation will be 5:00 PM-7:00 PM Tuesday September 5, 2023, at Calvert & Metzler Memorial Home, Bloomington, IL Memorial contributions may be made to College Park Christian Church, Central IL Chapter of the American Red Cross (Jesse was a lifelong blood donor), or Special Olympics Illinois.

Jesse was born April 29, 1939, in Pearl, IL, the son of Kenneth and Bertha Smart. He married Susan Ann Stover on July 16, 1961, in Centralia, IL. She passed away on August 6, 2021. He is survived by two children, Deborah (Matthew) Barton of Phoenix, AZ, and Gregory (Michelle) Smart of Buckeye, AZ.

Jesse was preceded in death by his wife and one infant son, Jeffery.

Jesse graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in Ag Education. Jesse taught Vocational Agriculture & Biology at Stanford High School in Stanford, IL. He had worked at Funks Seed/Ciba Geigy Co., Bloomington, IL, and was President/Owner of Smart Seeds Inc in Bloomington, IL. Jesse served on the Bloomington City Council from 1978-1985. He served as Mayor of the City of Bloomington from 1985-1997. He served on many various commissions and boards including the Illinois State Board of Elections from 2001-2015 where he served as Chairman & Vice Chairman for 8 years. He was previously a member of College Park Christian Church in Normal. He was Past President of the Illinois Seed Dealers Assoc., Chairman of the Farm Seed Division, American Seed Trade Assoc. He was named McLean County Agri Businessman of the Year in 1989. He was past member & President of the Prairie Aviation Air Show. He was Past Captain of the Shrine "Tin Lizzie Patrol" and Past President and member of the Young Men's Club, and past Treasurer of the Mosbacher 4-H Scholarship Fund. He was named a 2017 History Maker Honoree by The McLean County Museum of History. He served many years as Executive Director/Treasurer of the Western Seed Assoc. He had volunteered for the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts and was a past member of the Cultural Commission.

The family would like to thank the staff at Crystal Ridge Assisted Living in Glendale, AZ, for their loving care of Jesse for the past 16 months.

Jesse was a loving husband and father. He never met a stranger. He will be missed by all who knew him. Please view the obituary and share your condolences and memories online at www.calvertmemorial.com