Family Honor Beloved Late Grandpa By Wearing His Ties To Funeral

A family paid a beautiful tribute to their beloved late grandfather by wearing ties from his collection to his funeral. Gene Smith, from Kansas City, Missouri, was seen as a pillar of his family, with everyone looking up to him and how he carried himself and dressed. Gene, who was 83 when he passed, was a preacher and barber for nearly five decades, always wearing a suit and tie to preach and officiate weddings, while also maintaining a timeless flattop haircut through his work. After Gene's passing, his family found a large bag in his closet, which they estimated contained around 100 different ties. These had been worn during his years of preaching, and so his wife thought it would be special if, for Gene's funeral, the men in the family "dressed to the nines," which was something he really valued, with each wearing a different tie. At the celebration, Gene's granddaughter, Lexi Johnson, 29, walked around the room and captured wholesome, short videos of her husband, dad, Gene's two great-grandsons and his four grandsons each wearing one of his ties. Capturing the clips on June 26, 2025, was emotional, Lexi said, and she later shared a compilation of her videos on social media, where viewers passed on loving messages.