Days until we Walk for Life on January 25, 2025

We have lost another great longtime friend of the Walk for Life West Coast: John “Jack” Smith. Jack passed away on December 23. He was only 50. A man of uncompromising principle and integrity, Jack served the Archdiocese of San Francisco as a reporter for Catholic San Francisco and in the office of communications. Jack supported the Walk from even before day one—a screenshot of his December 17, 2004 story promoting the very first Walk is above.

Jack Smith.

Jack left the Archdiocese of San Francisco and went to work for the Diocese of Kansas City in 2007. He had served there as Communications Director and editor of the Catholic Key newspaper since 2007. His Catholic Key blog was one the most faithful, well-written, and interesting on the Catholic web. 

Our thoughts and prayers go to Jack’s wife Linda and their son, Sean, his parents and his many brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. Jack, pray for us from heaven!

#walkforlifewc #WalkForLife #WFLWC