Biography

John Edward Naylor Smith (1937 - 2011) was born in Colne, England, the 2nd child of Albert Edward Smith and Freda Mary Naylor. The family emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1955, and John began to study at Sydney University, and the Australian Forestry School in Canberra, before working in Papua New Guinea as a forestry cadet. He met and married Mary, who he met in Canberra when she was completing her midwifery. 

John and Mary had three children - Ian, Eleanor and Gail. With the gaining of independence in Papua New Guinea, the family moved back to Australia with a brief stop in Adelaide before setting in Tasmania. They established a home at Underwood near Lilydale, and John continued his career in forestry. John faced considerable health challenges from the 1980s, but this did not stop him from strong involvement in the Lilydale community and increasingly, at St. John's Church. 

Mary passed away in 1995, a challenging time for John. Over time, he became increasingly involved with the church, and met Helen, (then Fraser), who served on Parish Council, including a stint as a churchwarden. Before long, John was also on Parish Council, and was elected as a churchwarden in 2000, only retiring from that role in 2009. He and Helen were able to travel in his later years, including a return to England to renew family ties, as well as trips to Darwin and the Red Centre. Health challenges increased, and John went to the Lord on 30th August 2011.

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