Last week, the Spokane graphic design community lost one of its pioneers. John Carroll Smith passed away November 6. He was 69 years old. John spent several years operating his own design firm—Smith Graphics—which is where I first met him while on tour with fellow design students from Spokane Falls Community College. Later, in 1984, he became a full-time design instructor at SFCC.
John, left, and SFCC design instructor Doug Crabtree, June 26, 2015
John’s easygoing manner and real-life design experiences where a perfect fit for his calling to mentor aspiring graphic designers. Whenever I gave presentations at SFCC, he was always engaged, and his quiet sense of humor and patience served him well during a 30-year teaching career. He retired in 2014.
Thanks for all that you have done for our profession, John. We’ll miss you.
