Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Smith, Jean Florence (Kinley) March 1, 2019
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Pat Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net September 4, 2020, 1:14 pm

Ionia Sentinel Standard-Wed. March 6, 2019

JEAN FLORENCE SMITH, 92
Mom died peacefully on March 1, 2019, at the age of 92 in Chandler, Arizona. 

She  was born in Detroit, Michigan, on May 10, 1926, to Howard J. Kinley and 
Olga (Kirsch) Kinley.

She is survived by her children; Jane (David) MacPherson, Wendy (Alan) 
Lawson, Tamara (Andy) Byerly and Tim Smith as well as her grandchildren; Andy 
and Joe MacPherson, Mary Jean (Lawson) Cash and Rob Lawson, and their 
spouses, as well as 6 great-grandchildren.

While attending Wayne State University, she met the love of her life, Robert 
O. Smith then enrolled in the Wayne State Medical School. After graduation, 
and the completion of Dad's medical training, the young couple decided to 
settle in Ionia, Michigan. As dad began his surgical practice, Mom dove into 
raising a family, supporting Dad in any way e needed, and serving on numerous 
community fund raising projects. Out Mom was a faithful member of the First 
Presbyterian Church of Ionia She raised four children in a nurturing 
environment that allowed each of us to excel in our own way. Along the way, 
we shared her hearty family dinners, picnics at Bertha Brock Park, memorable 
family Christmases, hundreds of trips to Lake Michigan, berry picking trips 
(Mom made the best pies) and traveling around America in our not always 
dependable motor home. One of our fondest memories of Mom was that she was 
"Mrs. Fix-it." You didn't ofter need a handyman when things broke around the 
house. Mom could repair just about anything!

As her daughters married, she welcomed each of her "new sons" as her own, in 
to the family.

In retirement she was Dad's enthusiastic travel and golf partner. Mom and Dad 
traveled all over the  world together. Sadly Dad passed away April 25,2013, 
just shy of 65 years of marriage. Though having health challenges, due to an 
accident, Mom carried on, and we enjoyed gathering for Christmas and 
birthdays with her each year, Jean Smith was the cornerstone of our family, 
She gave us a loving and supportive environment and left her fingerprints on 
who we were and who we grew up to be. She is now off to waltz with dad in 
Heaven. As she was always great at multitasking, we think she will be able to 
dance with dad and serve as our guardian Angel, just as she served us so well 
on earth.

A private service will be held at a future date.

We wish to thank the staff at Parkland Memory Care Center in Chandler, AZ, 
for the kind and dedicated care they provided our Mom in her last month of 
life.

Donations in her name may be made to: Brain Injury Association of America, 
p.O. Box 7416 Merrifield, VA 22116-7416 or First Presbyterian Church of Ionia 
125 E. Main St.,Ionia, MI 48846.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/s/smith38569nob.txt

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