Dr. John D. Smalling

“Not a saint, but a saintly servant” describes a full life that was dedicated to all of God’s creatures and humankind by Dr. John D. Smalling, 81, of Maryville, TN. He died on Monday, December 1st, 2008 of complications resulting from pancreatitis at Asbury Place Health Center. Dr. Smalling had a prolific 38-year tenure as a Professor of Animal Science at UT-Knoxville, and richly influenced over 2000 students. Many of these students applied life lessons taught by Dr. Smalling to become national and international leaders in Production Agriculture, Reproductive Physiology, Animal Genetics, and Veterinary Medicine. Through the outreach of his students, Dr. Smalling has greatly impacted world food production and human nutrition. Even today, many of his former students credit the practical nature and application of his coursework as being a primary factor in their continued professional achievements. John David Smalling was born in Johnson City, TN to the late Alexander Rankin and Mary Mingea Smalling. He lived his early life in the Piney Flats community of Sullivan County, TN, where his faith took root at New Bethel Presbyterian Church. Following graduation from Mary Hughes High School, at age 17 he joined the US Naval Air Reserve. He began advanced education at King College, then transferred to the UT College of Agriculture in Knoxville. With a major in Beef Production and a minor in Educational Administration, he received BS and MS Degrees from UTK. Following graduation, he returned to Mary Hughes High School as a Vocational Agriculture instructor for six years. During his service there, Dr. Smalling helped organize and was a charter member of the Piney Flats Ruritan Club. This was the period in which he met and married his wife of 54 years, Elsie Lee Smalling, originally from Madisonville. Dr. Smalling felt blessed that this strong marriage and stable family, which produced three children, their spouses, and six grandchildren, was his life’s greatest achievement. To pursue his goal of becoming a university professor, Dr. Smalling left East Tennessee and received a PhD from Texas A & M. He returned as a Professor to the Department of Animal Science at UTK, where student advocacy was the priority of his professional career. Accepting the responsibility of his role as a mentor and role model, he felt that life lessons, taught by example, were equally as important as the classroom material presented in his lectures and laboratories. He has freely credited professional colleagues and associates for their many collaborative efforts to advance both student knowledge and the community outreach of the university’s work. In Dr. Smalling’s eyes, accomplishments were to be shared by all, and professional and personal relationships were symbiotic. Teaching and encouraging a student’s professional growth were his joys and passion; he never dreaded any classroom endeavor. He was never too busy to help any student with any problem, and his witty sayings made his lessons memorable. His magnetic personality drew students to attend every lecture, and put his courses in the unique category of “do not cut class or you’ll miss something!” He was recognized by the UT National Alumni Association in 1988 with a National Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award. He received many departmental and college recognitions, including the student-selected award of the dedication of Block and Bridle Round-up to him on several occasions. He and Miss Elsie were the ‘parents away from home’ for many Animal Science students, and their presence on staff made it easy for real-life parents to send their sons and daughters to UTK for their college education. As a hands-on, working physiologist and advisor to the UT Animal Cloning Team, he was instrumental in that group’s success which brought national and international recognition to the University in the late 1990’s and 2000. He collaborated in the development of a UT Extension Master Livestock Volunteer Program, which has evolved into today’s Master Beef Producer Certification Program. A respected breeder of Angus cattle, Dr. John loved promoting that breed in a number of ways. Along with his father, he established Aberlea Angus Farm in 1945. They derived the name “Aberlea’ from ‘Aberdeen,’ the Scottish area where the Angus breed originated, with the ‘lea’ being English for ‘grassy meadow.’ This herd is now continued into the fourth-generation of his family. He was a past president and board member of the East Tennessee Angus Association, and received their Distinguished Service Award. He had served as delegate to the National Angus Convention, chaired a delegation to the International Angus Convention, and was an avid promoter of Certified Angus Beef. He was the 2008 Soil Conservationist of the Year in Blount County. He enthusiastically encouraged the interest of youth in animal agriculture as a career choice, and for that, was honored by the Blount County Livestock Association with their Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Smalling had contributed Angus cattle for the Heartstone Farm project for challenged youth at the Trula Cronk Freewill Baptist Home for Children near Greeneville, TN. He was a past president of the Alcoa Kiwanis Club, had served as a Program Chairman, and had been recognized as a Kiwanian of the Year. This 46-year member of New Providence Presbyterian Church, Maryville held Jesus Christ and his church in a position of utmost importance. He had served as a Sunday School teacher, Deacon, and Elder. He was a member of the Chancel Choir, the Men’s Bible Study and Prayer Group, and the Pastor Search committee. He served on the UT Student Presbyterian Center Board of Directors. Through all of his endeavors, Dr. Smalling was known for his deep and abiding love of family, a brilliant and quick sense of humor, thoughtful intelligence, his perseverance in times of adversity, an unending kindness for all that were suffering, and constant respect for others. Whether at a civic meeting or in the classroom, his gregarious and personable nature made anyone he encountered feel like they held a very special place in his life. Professional memberships included Gamma Sigma Delta Honor Society, National Association of Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, American Society of Animal Science, and UT National Alumni Association. He was preceded in death by his parents, a sister Jane Crussell, foster sister Helen Smith, and a brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Clyde and Lucille Lee of Maryland. Survivors include his wife, Elsie Lee Smalling, son and daughter-in-law, J. David and Cindy Smalling, Maryville, TN, daughters and sons-in-law, Margaret and Paul Lane, Murfreesboro, TN, and Miriam and Fred Frazier, Greeneville, TN, grandchildren, Matthew Lane and wife Lauren, Rockford, TN, Thomas and Andrew Lane, Murfreesboro, TN, Anna and Sarah Smalling, Maryville, TN, Emilee Frazier, Greeneville, TN, sisters Anne Frazier, Piney Flats, TN, Phyllis Holloway, Greeneville, TN; brother-in-law Allen Crussell of Johnson City, TN, brother-in-law and wife, Carl and Mary Lee, Madisonville, sister-in-law and husband, Zoe and Charlie Hatchett, Knoxville, TN, many nieces and nephews, very special family friend, Bobilee Proffitt, Maryville, TN. Dr. Smalling’s legacy will forever live in the minds of his extended family of colleagues and students whom he loved deeply, and who in turn respected his guidance and appreciated his understanding. The family would like to express heartfelt thanks to the physicians and staffs of Blount Memorial Hospital, Select Specialty Hospital, Asbury Place Health Center, caregiver Nell Miller, and the loyal team of caregiving friends and neighbors for respectful treatment and the months of compassionate care extended to Dr. Smalling. A Memorial Service will be held at 3:30 p.m. Fri., Dec. 5th, at New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville, TN, with Rev. Dr. Emily J. Anderson officiating. Receiving of friends will be held at the church in Westminster Hall following the service. A Graveside service and interment will take place at New Bethel Presbyterian Church at Piney Flats, TN at 11:00 a.m. on Sat., Dec. 6th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to either of the following: The John D. Smalling Scholarship Fund; Attn: Rhodes Logan, UT Institute of Agriculture; 107 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, TN 37996 (Ph. 865-974-1928) – OR - Dr. John D. Smalling Memorials – Music Fund; New Providence Presbyterian Church; 703 W. Broadway; Maryville, TN 37801 (Ph. 865-983-0182). The family is being served by McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home of Maryville, TN; their phone is 865-982-6812. Online condolences may be sent to the Smalling Family via www.mccammonammonsclick.com, then click on the Obituaries tab. McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, Maryville, TN