Company Announcement
It is with extreme sadness that we must inform you that John Smith (3rd generation), passed away peacefully on Friday morning (9th November) at his home in Leicester. At the age of 86 he leaves behind his wife, Edna Smith, who he was married to for 61 years and his four children.
John was until September last year the Chairman of Smith Brothers (Leicester) Ltd, the parent company, continuing to help guide SBS down its extremely successful journey. Although a step back from Smith Brothers was taken, he continued to play a very active role within Air Plants Dust Extraction (www.airplants.co.uk), where he will be greatly missed. We make no secret of our family heritage and John Smith built on both Walter (founder) and Sydney’s (2nd generation) foundations, leaving the business in the strong position it finds itself in today, highlighted by receiving the Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year Award in 2018. Although SBS remains unaffected on an operational level, John’s passing invariably marks a sad day for Smith Brother Stores.
To comprehend the level of his achievement during his leadership, our historical timeline is viewable (timeline) within the ‘About Us’ pages, under ‘Our History’. While it would be fitting to discuss his accomplishments, we don’t feel it necessary at present, but will in due course. We are sure the countless people who were blessed by his presence can reminisce over their memories, which his wife encourages.
For those wanting to know more information about how they can pay their respects, this will be communicated in due course. The best contact regarding such matter will be your usual SBS representative/contact, who will be advised of the details when they emerge. But for now, all we have left to say is a great man will be sorely missed on both a personal and professional level.
