After a life well-lived, Beryl T. Smith passed away on June 7, 2026, at age 94. Born on November 7, 1931, in Imboden, Arkansas, Beryl moved to DeKalb at age 18 where he met and married his cherished wife, Ruth Miller.

They raised their daughter, Jeanne, and were later thrilled to welcome grandson Andrew and granddaughter Taylor. He was proud to own his own company, Beryl’s Electrical Service, which was a highly respected local business.

Beryl and Ruth’s generous hearts expanded to take in their “bonus daughter”, Julie, then a college student who lived with them and remained a treasured part of their lives. After Ruth’s passing, Beryl had the great blessing of uniting in marriage with his beloved Cherie Pinkerton Durfee, also of DeKalb, and adding her family to the expanding tent of love, including son Paul and daughter Stephanie and their families.

Beryl was a member of the First United Methodist Church of DeKalb for nearly 75 years.            

He believed in giving back to the community he loved. He was elected to the DeKalb County Board and served as its chair. He devoted many years as a member and chair of various community boards including the DeKalb County Public Building Commission, Ben Gordon Mental Health Center, and the DeKalb Area Retirement Center Board (Oak Crest). Beryl was active with the Kishwaukee Kiwanis Club and enjoyed the Northern Illinois University Huskie booster club. Many of his good works were quiet ones, helping friends and neighbors in times of need. When not in committee meetings, Beryl could be found on a baseball field, volleyball court, bowling alley, or golf course. If a sport involved a ball and a score, he played it and developed many life-long friendships. His closet often held a conglomeration of uniform shirts collected over the years.

Above all else, Beryl was devoted to his family and friends. Those who were fortunate enough to know him felt his love, gentle nature, and unwavering support. He will be missed every day, but always with gratitude for having been a part of his life.

Beryl was preceded in death by his first wife Ruth Irene (Miller) Smith, his parents, Thomas Hatcher Smith and Helen Kell Smith, his sister Eva (Alfred) Robert, and his three brothers, Gail (Margaret), Vernon Kell (Rosa Lee), and Herschel (Betty) Smith.

Beryl is survived by his wife, Cherie Durfee-Smith; his daughter Jeanne (Jim Kaplan) Smith; his grandchildren Andrew Welch and Taylor (Jordan Perman) Welch,  Cherie’s  son Paul (Tammy) Durfee, and their daughter Abigail (Cj) Durfee-Kolbeck, and their son Christopher Kolbeck; her daughter Stephanie (Rob) Klein, and their daughters Julia Klein and Alyssa Klein; and bonus daughter Julie (Dave) Thomas, and their children Mia Thomas, Nicole (Patrick) Boyd and Ben Thomas. Beryl was a loving uncle to many nieces and nephews.

The family sincerely thanks all the wonderful staff of the Oak Crest Health Center who provided compassionate care for Beryl through his last journey.

A celebration of Beryl’s life will be held Monday, July 27, 2026 at the First United Methodist Church, 2501 N. Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb beginning with a visitation from 10:00 a.m. until time of service at 12:00 p.m. A luncheon will immediately follow at the church. Private burial will be at Fairview Park Cemetery attended by the immediate family.              

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Good Samaritan Fund at Oak Crest, oakcrestdekalb.org/charitable-giving or Oaken Acres Wildlife Center oakenacres.org/donate