|
John Joseph Smoker, 77, died Thursday, December 6, 2007 at his home in Santa Fe. He was born in Goshen, Indiana on April 29, 1930 to Ruth Kimmel Smoker and Ralph Smoker. After obtaining a BA from Goshen College and an MD from Northwestern Medical School, he pursued post-graduate medical training at the Swedish Hospital in Seattle. John's career was dedicated to his patients, his community and the practice of family medicine, earning the love and respect of all that crossed his path. Dr. Smoker came to New Mexico in 1957, and during his early career he served Northern Pueblo communities and the Albuquerque Indian School with the Indian Health Service. He then practiced in Raton, New Mexico for 37 years, delivering 2200 babies, preceptoring medical students as an Associate Professor with the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, and serving multiple terms as Chief of Staff of Miners Colfax Medical Center. Community organizations in which he was active included the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce, and he was the team physician for the Raton Public School System athletic teams. He was active in New Mexico Medicare reform and legislative activities, serving on the Board of NM Blue Cross/Blue Shield for 25 years, and he was President of the New Mexico Academy of Family Physicians in 1982-83. In 1998, he was named Family Physician of the Year by the New Mexico Chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. John retired from his Raton practice in July, 1998, and moved to Santa Fe, where he continued practicing part-time at the Santa Fe Family Health Center, the Santa Fe Indian Hospital, and the Health Centers of Northern New Mexico. He served seven years on the New Mexico Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission, and also served on the board of directors of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale for five years. He was active in the First Baptist Church in Santa Fe, and was a proud member of the Northern New Mexico Senior Men's Golf Association. Dr. Smoker is survived by his loving wife, Dorothy; his brother Stanford; and by his children: Ingrid Graves, Sandra Snow and husband, Matt, Eric Smoker, Jay Thompson and wife, Jennifer, Kurt Smoker, Bret Smoker and wife, Yolanda, Mikal Ann Smoker and husband, Howard Diaz, Mandy Peters and husband, Daron, Marci Segura and husband, Steven, David Smoker and wife, Shari, and James Thompson and wife, Dawn. He was also blessed with numerous grandchildren and several great grandchildren. Services are pending with Berardinelli Family Funeral Services. In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family requests donations be made in John's memory to the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, 811 St. Michael's Drive, Suite 208, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505, or to the Bill Smoker Scholarship fund, 1700 South Main Street, Goshen, Indiana, 46526. Arrangements are under the direction of Berardinelli Family Funeral Service 1399 Luisa Street Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505) 984-8600
|
