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Mr. John Arch Smoot, 86, of Jack Booe Road, Mocksville, died Saturday, March 23, 2024, at W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury.

John was born on Aug.t 2, 1937 in Forsyth County to the late Thomas Harden and Ada Abernathy Smoot.

John graduated from Mineral Springs High School in May 1955 and enlisted in the US Air Force in October of that year. He served four years active duty and two years in the Reserve. On Feb. 2, 1962, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps. While in the Corps, he served in the Far East including Vietnam in 1965. After his service in the Corps, he returned to the states and attended Northrop Institute of Technology, graduating in 1967 and then serving as an instructor at Northrop for five years. He worked for Global Associates on the US Missile Range at Kwajalein, Marshall Islands training new mechanics on the C-7 Caribou and C-54 aircraft. After leaving the Marshall Islands, he worked as an instructor for the Ethiopian Airlines, training mechanics in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (1974-1975). John held a variety of jobs before joining Piedmont Aerospace as an instructor at the new Career Center High School in Winston-Salem in 1977. He became an employee of North Carolina Department of Education in 1984, teaching in the same classroom until his retirement in 2001. While teaching, he attended John Wesley University in High Point and received a BA in Management and Ethics in 1995. In addition to teaching and attending school, John was very active in the Civil Air Patrol (October 1993-October 2012), serving in many positions and receiving multiple awards in the Winston-Salem Squadron and Wing.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by: his sisters, Helen Sapp and Mary Sykes; and his brothers, Thomas Harden (TH) Smoot and William (Bill) Smoot.

Survivors include: his wife, Eunice Buffington Smoot of the home; children, Richard (Rick) Spencer of Arizona, Kenneth Spencer (Melissa) of South Dakota, Pam White (John) of Mocksville, and Dr. Meredith Sherrill (Dr. Dustyn Williams) of Texas; a grandson, John White II of Virginia; a granddaughter, Stellan White of Mocksville; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 30 at Chestnut Grove Church with Rev. Bob Briggs officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery with Military Honors. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church.

Memorials may be considered for: Chestnut Grove Church, 2821 US 601 N, Mocksville, NC 27028.

Online condolences: www.eatonfuneralservice.com.