Joe Smock

Joe Smock
March 25, 1956 – May 31, 2022

On Tuesday, May 31, 2022 my beloved brother Joe passed away in Round Rock Texas at the young age of 66. As his older brother, I cherish the many years we spent together. We grew up on the Spring Branch farm together and we learned together to work the land and provide for our families.

We worked hard together growing up but we also learned about life together. We hunted and fished together, we learned how to mount wild animals, we learned the art of tanning hides and making leather together. As adults, we raised hogs together, smoked bacon and ham and made sausage together.

Joe was not too fond of book learning but he was as smart and talented as they come and had a natural mechanical ability like no one else I’ve ever known. At 12 years old, with absolutely no training as a mechanic, he would regularly fix all things mechanical and he often fixed the beat up old Dodge pickup that I drove to high school. I could only scratch my head in wonder as he explained the workings of a modern gasoline combustion engine to me.

Joe dropped out of school and went to work in the body shop at the local Ford dealership before he turned 16 years old. While his contemporaries were still in high school and trying to decide what to do with their lives, Joe had already earned the reputation as one of the best body men around.

Not only smart and talented, Joe was simply a good person. He was always willing to help out anyone that needed help, especially his large extended family.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and all of the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

R.I.P. my brother until we see each other again.

My Uncle Joe was a great man. As loyal as they come. He has always been my favorite Uncle. Growing up I would sometimes spend Spring Break up there and he would be a tough but fair old man that would teach me things while helping me build character.

He one time taught me gun safety when I got my first rifle at around 5. It was a BB gun but you still have to be careful.

Joe: *Pumps up the BB rifle many times.
Joe: First, don’t shoot your truck. *Proceeds to shoot his truck.
Joe: *Pumps up the BB rifle again.
Joe: Second, don’t shoot yourself. *Aims it point blank to his foot and pulls the trigger.
Young Jacob: Looks at his shoe with the BB hole in it.
Joe: Keeps a total straight face like he was not hurt.
Young Jacob: Wide eyed AF.

Years later after I was an adult. I asked him how bad that hurt and would he do it again.
He said something like “Hell no, that fucking hurt.”