NATCHEZ — Services for Special Agent Jerrel Rex Smith Jr., 47, who died Wednesday, June 9, 2010, in Independence, Ky., will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jimmy Harper officiating.

Burial will follow at the Natchez National Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the funeral home.

Jerrel “Rex” Smith Jr., was born Jan. 26, 1963, in Natchez, the son of Sandra Beth Harper Smith of Natchez and Jerrel Rex Smith Sr. of Brookhaven. He attended elementary and high school in Paris, Tenn., graduating from Henry County High School in 1981. During his school years, he excelled in a number of sports, especially football. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in both stateside assignments and several overseas assignments—Japan, Korea and Denmark. He attained the rank of Lance Corporal during his time in the service and was honorably discharged in 1986 at this military rank. After his military service, he attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson and Northwestern Louisiana University in Monroe, La., where he graduated in December 1992, with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a minor in sociology.

Rex worked for a short period with the Bastrop Police Force before being accepted in 1998 to work with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Agency. He was assigned to work as a special agent in the Cincinnati, Ohio, field office after graduating from the DEA Academy in Quantico, Va., in January 1999. He worked in the Cincinnati field office until his untimely death at his residence.

Rex was an extremely patriotic person, believing in his country and its constitution.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Arthur Harper and paternal grandparents, J.D. and Lura Smith.

Survivors include his parents; one sister, Melanie Long and husband, Dr. Jeffery Long, of Manhattan, Kan., one brother, Arthur Smith and wife, Carrie, of Paris, Tenn.; two nieces, Madison Long and Alyson Smith; two nephews, Matthew Long and Colin Smith; maternal grandmother, Loyce Harper of Vidalia; and a number of uncles, aunts and cousins.

Pallbearers will be U.S. Marine Corps Honor Guard.

Honorary pallbearers will be the DEA Special Agent, co-workers of the Cincinnati field office.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.