Mary Smith Obituary

Mary K. Smith

Born: Oct. 30, 1937

Died: Dec. 11, 2015

Mary Kathryn Smith, 78, passed away peacefully at her long time Glen Ellyn, IL home on Friday, December 11, 2015, after a courageous and well fought battle with cancer.

Born to the late Bishop Paul Arthur Washburn and Kathryn Elizabeth Fischer Washburn on October 30, 1937, in Aurora, IL, Mary graduated Naperville High School (1955). At North Central College (1959), she graduated with High Honor (valedictorian), a position she would always humbly condition by adding that some other students had tougher class loads. In college, she met Ronald Lee Smith and they were married February 1, 1958.

Mary's father was a Methodist minister and she recently told her brother Fred that she was lucky to have grown up in parsonages because the church next door always had an organ and she started playing at a young age. She was an accomplished lifelong organist, active with the American Guild of Organists, and had long tenures at Gary United Methodist and Trinity Episcopal, both in Wheaton, and First Presbyterian in Glen Ellyn where she played until just recently.

Her working years were divided between substitute teaching, church secretary, Tellabs in Lisle and constant charitable and volunteer work. Most importantly, Mary loved spending time with her family & friends, especially her sons, grandchildren, brothers and their families. She also loved theater and gardening. Mary was a leader in the Violet Garden Club and took on the annual plant sale with purpose. She supported local theatre and looked forward to her annual trips to Stratford, Ontario for a week of Shakespeare with her brothers and a troupe of friends.

Survived by brothers, Fredrick (Madeline) Paul Washburn of Mendota Heights, MN and John (Kitty) Arthur Washburn of Chicago; sons Allen (Kathy) Harris Smith of Hinsdale (grandchildren, Danielle & Ella) and Phillip (Jennifer) James Smith of Deephaven, MN, (grandchildren, Mary, Libby & Will); stepchildren Steve (Sue) Marks, Sarah Svob, Wendy (Ed) Boisserain and Adrienne (Steve) Marks. Mary is loved and missed by many nieces, nephews and grandchildren. Beloved wife of the late Ronald Lee Smith (father of her two children) and the late Alfred E Marks. Loving sister of the late Jane (Edwin) Anne Eigenbrodt.

Memorial Service to be held at 11:00 a.m. on January 2, 2016, at First Presbyterian Church of Glen Ellyn. Mary was interred at Chapel Hill Garden West Cemetery with her late husband Ronald Lee Smith.

In lieu of flowers, a memoriam is being established at the American Guild of Organists to be used for the development of young pipe organists. Donations can be made to the Mary K Smith Scholarship, c/o, AGO National Headquarters, 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1260, New York, NY 10115-1260.

Calm, optimistic, giving and resilient; Mary Smith always believed "THE SUN SHINES STILL"

Arrangements by DuPage Cremations, Ltd. and Memorial Chapel (630) 293-5200.