Joe Woodrow Smart, Jr.

Joe "Jay" Woodrow Smart, Jr., age 50, passed away on Thursday, May 29, 2025, at his home in Inman, South Carolina. Mr. Smart was born in Greenwood, South Carolina on October 18, 1974, the son of Elaine McCarson Smart and the late Joe Woodrow Smart, Sr. He was the owner of Joe's Electric LLC. He graduated from Laurens District 55 High School in 1992 where he was known as a great baseball player for the Raiders. Jay also played football, basketball, and ran track. After graduation, he served in the Army National Guard, and later with the United States Navy on the USS Gunston Hall. He coached baseball at Northwood Little League, and Travel ball, where he took his team, the Raptors, to the US AAA World Series and was proud when his team came home with the trophy. His passion was teaching and coaching baseball to his own children as well as his other players. Every team member that ever played for Coach Smart was a winner. He made sure that they were winners, just by stepping on the field.

Left to cherish his memory in addition to his mother are girlfriend, Meghan Taylor; his sons, Carson J Smart (Gustavo), of Las Vegas, Nevada, Bryson J Smart (Paxton Yancy), of Athens, Georgia, and Dalton J Smart, of Greer, South Carolina; the sunshine of his life, his daughter, Everly Lake Smart, of Greer, South Carolina; sister, Sandra Jo Carlton and brother-in-law, Patrick Carlton, of Fountain Inn, South Carolina; nieces, Ali and Jillianne Rogers, Savannah Garlington, and Sophie Carlton; great niece, Adelynn Garlington; uncle, John E Smart of Waterloo, South Carolina; aunts, Brenda Irwin, of Easley, South Carolina, Karen Edwards (Jimmy), of Gray Court, South Carolina, Cheryl Sentell (Reggie), of Cross Anchor, South Carolina, Rita Young, of Easley, South Carolina, and Nancy Smart, of Clinton, South Carolina. Also special to Jay were Meghan's mother, and sister, Christina Taylor, and Stephanie Taylor.

In addition to his father, he was predeceased by maternal grandparents, Fred and Hazel McCarson, and paternal grandparents, Vorenna and Woodrow Smart, and uncle, Jerry Smart all of Laurens and many, many friends.

Memorial Services will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in the Chapel of Eggers Funeral Home of Boiling Springs with Rev. Tim Worthy officiating.  Former Players of Coach Smart are asked to sit in a group.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home prior to the service on Sunday, from 1:00 PM until 2:00 PM.