Joseph M. Smith Jr.

June 28, 1952 - January 25, 2022

Joseph Milton Smith Jr., age 69 of Union, Kentucky passed away with his family by his side on January 25th, 2022. Joe was born in Monticello, Kentucky in 1952 to the late Joseph and Cora Smith. He later moved to Florida where he spent his early childhood riding bikes and playing by the beach before returning to Kentucky. He spent his teenage years working in the family flower shop and left to serve his country in the Air Force from 19711975. Afterwards, he went on to establish a career in retail development where his incredible work ethic landed him a position as Senior Vice President of Operations at Pier 39 in San Francisco, California. His hard work and dedication led Pier 39 to become one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world for several years running. Along with his numerous professional achievements he was a loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather to an incredible family.

Joe is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Marilyn Smith, son: Joseph Smith and wife Kori OnoSmith, daughter: Rebecca Smith, grandson: Brandon Smith, and his siblings: Tony Smith, Virginia Fields, and Vikki Shelton; along with the countless other friends and family members fortunate enough to have met Joe.

A memorial visitation will be held Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at Linnemann Funeral Homes, Burlington from 11am to 12pm. A memorial service will immediately follow. Due to the health concerns, masks will be required inside the facilities. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or Bluegrass Greyhound Adoption for his love of dogs, donations can be made on their website via PayPal: https://bluegrassgreyhoundadoption. org. Online condolences can be left at www.LinnemannFuneralHomes.com