Marcus Anthony “Marc” Smith entered into eternal rest surrounded by his loving family on November 5th, 2026, at the age of 84. He left a legacy of honor, kindness and unwavering devotion to his family.

Visitation will be Sunday, November 15th, 2026, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, 2595 Rockdale Rd with a wake service to be held at 12:45 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 16th at St. Columbkille Catholic Church with Rev. Jacob Francois officiating. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery with military honors accorded by the American Legion Post #6.

Marc was born in Oelwein before his family moved to Dubuque in 1954. He was in the first graduating class at Wahlert High School in 1960. He then joined the United States Air Force where he proudly served his country.

After being honorably discharged from duty, he joined Illinois Central Railroad where he worked hard and made many good friends. When the Dubuque depot was closed, Marc became a 911 dispatcher at the Dubuque Law Enforcement Center. He proudly served our community and was loved and respected by all.

Marc & his wife Gail were long time parishioners of Saint Columbkille Catholic Church where they were united in marriage on September 16, 1967.

Marc loved his family dearly and they were his first priority. He was always there to support and cheer on his children and grandchildren in all of their activities. Marc loved to serve others and one of his favorite roles when the kids were young was being a Boy Scout Troop Leader. It was his greatest joy to support and love his family unconditionally.

Marc adored his dogs. He joked that was his “hobby.” No matter the size of the dog, they were lap dogs. They were loyal to him and he cared for them with great love and affection.

Marc loved talking with his family around the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and sweet treats. Grandpa Marc was also known for making his famous malts & loved to share his nightly batch of popcorn.

If Marc wasn’t working or with his family you could always find him tending to his backyard. He enjoyed being out there making it look nice, but was also known to drop everything to play a game of catch or P-I-G. He had a famous hook shot in basketball that was unbelievably accurate even from the three-point line. He lived in the moment and was never in a hurry. He took his time and enjoyed life.

Marc was humble, honest, faithful, loyal, principled, generous, selfless, gentle, wise, positive, supportive, strong, thoughtful and had a great sense of humor. He taught his children to always do the right thing and he lived his life by great example. He was a role model for us all.

He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Gail (Specht) Smith. His four children, Scott (Miki) Smith, Ryan (Jill) Smith, Thomas (Haley) Smith, and Carrie (Jim) Kennedy. Also left to cherish his memory are his beloved grandchildren, Eddie Smith, Zeke Smith (fiancé Livy), Olivia (Shane) Liegel, Teague Smith, Mara Smith, Lyla Smith, Caleb Smith, Isaac Smith, Sam Kennedy, Ella Kennedy & Mya Kennedy.

He is also survived by his in-laws Robert (Jane) Specht, Sharon (Keith) Steuer, Randy (MaryAnn) Specht and many nieces and nephews.

He was proceeded in death by his parents, Everett & Catherine Smith, his mother & father-in-law, Robert & Caroline Specht, his siblings Maurine (Jerry) Kloft, Eileen Binger, Maurice (Alice) Smith and his sister- in-law Romaine Specht.

The family would like to give a big thank you to all of the amazing caregivers at Assisi Village Memory Care with a special thank you to Hanna and Lisa for always going above and beyond.