Mary Ellen Smith
On Wednesday, November 30th, we lost our Mom. It happened very quickly, and we are still in a state of disbelief. None of us were ready for her to go. We are devastated and losing her has left a gaping whole in our family.
Mary Ellen Smith (Leech) was born March 12, 1945 in Walla Walla, WA. After high school she worked as a pharmacy technician. She met our Dad, Joseph Allen Smith, and they married in July of 1966. They soon started a family, having 2 daughters Erin and Meighan. She was a dedicated mom, working diligently to care for us and our home. She was always home, providing us with warm, healthy meals, making every holiday truly special, and never missing one of our school or social activities. She was involved with PTA, and she was a member of the Firebelles (wives of Firemen).
In her later years, she used her talents in teaching, as she had a unique gift in reaching children with special needs. She worked within the special education program throughout the Renton School District, making a difference in many children’s’ lives. After many years of dedication to her students, Mimi (as we all affectionately called her), retired and spent her days making quilts for her family, sewing, reading, baking with grandchildren, and regularly checking in with her family to ask them about their day.
She was spicy, like the Irish kind of spicy, so the perfect blend of humor and knowing exactly what she was thinking (whether you asked or not). She was funny, strong, smart and incredibly talented in many ways, especially in quilting, sewing and cooking. She could make a mean Strawberry Pizza! We have been blessed with so many of her beautiful creations. Mimi was also quite passionate about animals, most recently her two cats, Harry and Oscar who brought her much joy and comfort. She was an avid supporter of The Humane Society, donating annually on the anniversary of Harry and Oscar’s adoption..
We learned from her a love of books, as she saw the beauty in a book she read to us as children and later her granchildren. Her favorite book was Charlotte’s Web, and she loved to share and read aloud the Little House on the Prairie series. She also enjoyed a good Cozy Mystery with a cat as the hero.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Joseph Allen Smith and is survived by her daughters, Erin and Meighan (Randy) and her 6 grandchildren, Kolby, Ryan, Julia, Benjamin, Molly, and Oliver.
She invested everything she had into her friends and family, be it words, deeds or talents. She truly gave her all to those she loved. Not one of us wonders if she loved us. We can only hope that we gave her as much love as we received.
We will have a private family celebration of life for Mom. Please comment and share your fondest memory or her so we can include them in our celebration.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Seattle Humane Society.
The post first appeared on Barton Family Funeral Service.