Jerry was a man who knew what he was about. He had vision and strength and was from the old school. He believed 'If you want something done right, do it yourself!' I remember attending a party a number of years ago that Jerry had given at his home in Manila. The home was large and perhaps several hundred people were having a wonderful time. A band was playing as people danced and drank cold San Miguel beer and talked around the pool. As the evening wore on I noticed that Jerry and a group of young men were resolutely sober and serious despite the evening's gaiety. At eleven o' clock Jerry announced that he had to excuse himself as he and the group of men had to return to the studio to finish camera on a show that had to be shipped. I asked Jerry before he left why he felt compelled to desert his own party. Didn't he trust the crew to finish the show? He smiled and told me that as he had to ask his camera crew not to drink at the party, he promised them he would also abstain and go with them to shoot camera. I thought, 'This is pure Jerry Smith', in charge of probably the largest animation studio in the world at that time and he's going to personally shoot camera all night to insure a show gets out on schedule

Dozens of stories come to me now about Jerry, and I wish I had time to tell each and every one of them. We used to say that if Bill Hanna wanted to open a studio in the Amazon rain forest, he would parachute Jerry in with a screwdriver and a roll of camera tape and the place would be set up in a month -- two, if he wanted layouts done there!

He was a rare kind of fellow, a competent and honest man who lived his life on his own terms. He left us too soon and I, along with many others, will miss him."

-Milt Vallas
Independent Animation Consultant, who has known Jerry
for the past forty years as both friend and competitor

Jerry in his first sportscar, 1939.

"Jerry Smith - one of the enduring characters of animation and one of the first worldwide ambassadors. Jerry was without a doubt one of the key people in taking American animation to the world and finding ways to produce in many countries. Over the years he became the adopted son of Bill Hanna. It was Jerry who often led the charge for Bill or followed behind to make it work for Bill whether it was Spain, Australia, Korea, Taiwan and eventually the Philippines.

Jerry will be long remembered for his never ending commitment to the industry, his entrepreneurial flair in many countries, often in difficult circumstances, lead him to produce a product for a worldwide audience. The legacy of Jerry lives on in his children. It has been my pleasure to work with his son Terry who is every inch his father's son. Jerry will be missed but his contribution lives on."

- Neil Balnaves
Southern Star Group Limited, ACN

"One does not run into a person like Jerry Smith too often. He was very unique. Although Jerry was quiet and calm, he was one of the most energetic men I have ever known. He lived five lives in his lifetime, because he lived life to the fullest.

Many people would be happy to accomplish a fraction of the things Jerry did in his lifetime. Among Jerry's achievements, he owned and operated prawn farms, as well as an air cargo/courier service. He also drove racing cars, but his greatest accomplishment was being the co-founder and operator of Fil Cartoons, one of the world's largest animation studios. Based in the Philippines, Fil-Cartoons employs hundreds of talented people and has produced over a 1,000,000 feet of animation.

Hanna-Barbera cartoons and Fil-Cartoons were partners, and as a producer and through this association, I had the privilege to know and work with this gentleman. Although the two studios were separated by an ocean, it was really one studio. Jerry was loved and respected by everybody on both continents. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him."

-Davis Doi
Supervising Producer, Hanna-Barbera Cartoons