Jonathan D. Smith

Jonathan Daniel Smith, 61, passed away unexpectedly on May 31st, 2026 in Appleton, Wisconsin.

Jonathan was born on April 7th, 1965, in Marysville, Pennsylvania, to John and Mary “Peggy” Smith. He was preceded in death by his father, John, and is survived by his mother, Peggy; his sister, Staci (Wayne); his brother, Tim (Sheila); his daughter, Jenifer (Fabian); his son, David (Sonoma); his fiancée and beloved partner, Chris; the mother of his children, Michelle; and many extended family members, friends, and loved ones.

Jonathan graduated from Susquenita High School in 1983, where he discovered a love of singing, played in the school band, and raised pigs through 4-H. He went on to attend Penn State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture with a focus on small fruits in 1987. While at Penn State, he was an active member of Alpha Gamma Rho, an agriculture-focused fraternity. Jonathan later earned both his Master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where his research focused on cranberry nutrition, physiology, and soil science.

An inventor at heart, Jonathan developed and patented a process that allowed cranberries to be enjoyed as a healthy snack without added sugar, which he called “Cransations”. He often expressed that he “talked to fruit at the cellular level.” He involved his children in his many entrepreneurial ventures from a young age, including Dr. Jonathan’s Lotion Company, which often found Jenifer and David filling lotion bottles and helping prepare orders in the garage alongside their dad.

Jonathan was deeply invested in both his family and the communities he called home. He was active in his church as a choir director and threw parties for the entire choir, featuring homemade “hooch” from his still in the garage. He would never do things halfway: when his kids wanted a tire swing, it couldn’t be a regular tire, it had to be a semi tire. For a school pancake fundraiser, the class couldn’t just use a camping stove, he brought commercial kitchen equipment. Jonathan would show up to the Port Fun Fest in stilts for fun; the same stilts he wore during performances of the Nutcracker with his daughter.

No matter where he was, Jonathan was looking for a way to leave things better than he found them. At the family’s most recent reunion vacation, relatives discovered that he had fixed every wobbly chair in the Airbnb. It was exactly something he would do: he saw a problem, rolled up his sleeves, and fixed it. One of his favorite sayings, borrowed from his father, was, “If you don’t get started, you’ll never get done.”

In recent years, Jonathan shared much love, laughter, and companionship with his fiancée, Chris. She was a source of great happiness in Jonathan’s life and a partner in many adventures.

He will be deeply missed by family, friends, and all whose lives he touched. His singing voice lives on in our hearts, just as it echoed through church choirs, family gatherings, and the lives of those fortunate enough to hear it. His laughter and stories will never be forgotten. We take comfort in knowing that he has been reunited with his beloved father.

A celebration of Jonathan’s life will be announced at a later date.