Sunday, December 7, 2008

Gloria B Smith Memorial

Gloria B Smith of Pennswood Memorial Page 1922-2008




Bob and Gloria Smith with their abundant harvest of tomatoes last year.


Gloria B Smith of Pennswood Village, Newtown PA, and formerly of Stonybrook Road, Hopewell, NJ, passed on last week after a short illness. Gloria was born January 6, 1922. She served as a Marine Seargent in WWII, and married Robert E Smith after her service. Gloria contracted polio when pregnant with her daughter in 1952, and used a wheelchair the rest of her life. She raised three children and nurtured many other children and friends. She actively worked to improve the world as a school librarian, counselor, tutor, reading specialist, and passionate advocate for the environment.

Gloria is survived by her husband, Robert E Smith; her sons, Ralph Dewey Smith and David B Fisher; her daughter, Robin Smith Davis; her daughter-in-law, Sandy Fisher; her sister, Claire Ludlow; her grandson, Brian Fisher; her granddaughters, Wendy Fisher Morrison and Dawn Fisher Ferro, and her great granddaughters, Abigail Dawn Morrison, and Hannah Marie Morrison.

She is also survived by her beloved godchild, Lily Hartwell.
Lily was adopted from Vietnam as a toddler last year by longtime family friend Glenna Hartwell. The family requests that instead of flowers, anyone who wishes may make a contribution in Gloria's memory to the Lily Hartwell Education Fund, PO Box 295, Milltown, NJ 08850-0295.

Upon her death, Bob, her husband for 62 years, summed up her spirit in a few well chosen words, saying "She was a good kid."

Gloria's memorial service will be held at Pennswood, 1382 Newtown Langhorne Rd, Newtown PA on Dec 13, 2008 at noon. For a more complete biography of her accomplishments, see gloriabsmith.blogspot.com.

Full Biography

Gloria Virginia Baird Smith was born on Jan 6, 1922 in Manhattan, NY to Ralph C. Baird and Rose Louise Beggi Baird. She served her country as a US Marine seargent during World War II, when she enlisted as one of the first 500 women to enter the Marine Corp.

On April 12, 1946 she married Robert Edward Smith, her best friend from high school days. He is the son of Foster Dewey Smith and Edith Maude Babbington Smith of Morristown. Gloria and Bob attended Drew University in Morristown, and then undertook graduate studies at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. There they had their son, Ralph Dewey Smith, on August 25, 1950.

In 1952, Gloria contracted polio while pregnant with their daughter, Robin Louise Smith Davis. Sending Ralph to live with his parents, and Robin to live with Gloria's parents, Bob continued to work on his doctorate and to visit Gloria in the hospital ward while she worked on rehabilitation. She recovered the use of her right arm, but could not reenervate her legs.. She learned to use a wheelchair and together she and Bob faced and conquered the complex challenges of living with a disability.

They were reunited with their children in 1954, and Bob began a series of jobs in psychology and education, culminating in his lifetime work as a Vice President at Educational Testing Service. David Fisher, their eldest son, joined the family in 1959. The family had a lovely 150 year old farmhouse in the Sourland Mountains which Bob and Gloria remodeled to work for the wheelchair and to be surrounded with birds, plants and friends. Gloria raised her 3 children, established a library at East Amwell Elementary School, and continued her education as a librarian. She tirelessly participated in many social, environmental and political causes, and never failed to reach out a helping hand to anyone in need. She served as a tutor in disadvantaged Trenton schools, and she and Bob were trustees of Millhill, a domestic abuse shelter and preschool in Trenton. After earning a double M.A. in Reading and Counseling at the age of 56, she went on to administer the Rider Reading Clinic at Rider College in Trenton, NJ, a job she relished and excelled at.
Throughout their lives, Bob and Gloria, counseled, comforted, and enjoyed multitudes of friends and adopted relatives. To name just a few of Gloria's deep friends who enjoyed her hospitality and wisdom (a full list would take a lifetime) we want to mention her deeply loved friends Cindy Le Blanc, Jimmy Holton, Kate Langhart, her grandson Brian Fisher who spent years helping at the farm, the Ooey family, the Hsiang family, the Carole family, the Lambie family, the Foster Smith family, the Nicolini family, Sergei's family, the Reed family, the Komoski family, the Lake family, the Brooks family, the Katz family, the Williams family, the children and staff of Newtown Friends School, the residents of Pennswood, Linda Krause, Nancy Spears and all of the Pennswood staff.

In 1987, she retired, and she and Bob continued their lifelong travels all over America, Canada, and Europe. They continued to live in the 150 year old farmhouse they had remodeled for the wheelchair in the middle of 25 acres of woods, an idyllic place in the Sourland Mountains above Hopewell, NJ. They began a new vocation, writing restaurant reviews of NJ and PA restaurants for the Princeton Packet.

1997 found them moving to Pennswood where they joined the Community Care Retirement Center. Gloria became very active in community affairs, and served on many committees, organized an intergenerational program with kids, and volunteered at the Newtown Friends Elementary School. She was a long time member of the Pennswood Quaker Meeting. Her activity in all these causes continued until just a few days before her death. This is exemplified by the fact that two weeks before she died she participated in the weekly luncheon with 7th graders from Newtown Friends School. The last two days of her life were spent seeing family and close friends. She spent the last two afternoons of her life playing and reading with her great grandchildren, Abby (3), and Hannah (1) and her godchild, (18 months of age) Lily Hartwell.

Gloria is survived by her husband, Robert E Smith; her sons, Ralph Dewey Smith and David B Fisher; her daughter, Robin Smith Davis; her daughter-in-law, Sandy Fisher; her sister, Claire Ludlow; her grandson, Brian Fisher; her granddaughters, Wendy Fisher Morrison and Dawn Fisher Ferro, and her great granddaughters, Abigail Dawn Morrison, and Hannah Marie Morrison.

She is also survived by her beloved godchild, Lily Hartwell.
Lily was adopted from Vietnam as a toddler last year by longtime family friend Glenna Hartwell. The family requests that instead of flowers, anyone who wishes may make a contribution in Gloria's memory to the Lily Hartwell Education Fund. Checks should be made payable to the Lily Hartwell Education Fund, PO Box 295, Milltown, NJ 08850-0295. Upon her death, Bob, her husband for 62 years, summed up her spirit in a few well chosen words, saying "She was a good kid."
Gloria's memorial blog is found at gloriabsmith,blogspot.com

1 comment:

carole said...

Bless you Robin for chosing this as way to share the love of your dear mother through her many accomplishments. I knew she was special, and know I know why all the more. Your friend, Carole