Obituary of Barbara Ann Smith

Barbara Smith was a very special person. She could quietly fill a room with love and warmth. She was a person of humility. She was born on March 21, 1927 in Tacoma, Washington to Robert and Mary Rioux. Her brother was "Uncle Bob" and her sister was "Aunt Noah." They were raised in Port Townsend and Olympia. At a young age, she discovered her artistic abilities and enjoyed drawing pencil sketches and painting. After high school Mom worked at Boeing and Rhodes department store. She had a calling in life and knew early on that she wanted to be a wife and mother. Her career choice was to be a stay-at-home Mom. Barbara met our father Eugene at a dance in Tacoma. He was a Navy veteran returning from the war in Korea. They dated, fell in love and were married in Tacoma. They honeymooned in San Francisco. They liked California so much they decided to move there. All four children were born in Antioch, California. We moved back to Tacoma in 1961 so Mom and Dad could be closer to their parents. We went to Holy Rosary School for several years and later attended St. Patrick's. Mom made our lunches every morning before school. She lined up four brown paper bags with our names on each. We transferred to public school in 1970. Mom wanted to be a part of our religious education so she became our CCD teacher. Everyone but Dad learned how to drive in our red '64 Chevy Impala. Mom was first to learn how to drive. She could really make the car jerk back and forth by popping the clutch. By the time everyone had learned to drive, Dad had replaced two or three clutches and a couple of motor mounts in the car. Mom loved going to Montgomery Wards in Lakewood. Sometimes we would get lost trying to get there. One time we never did find it. We just turned around and came home. A couple of times we remember seeing a little sign that said Narrows Bridge. I knew we were lost because we lived on the other side of UPS. When Mom would call us in for dinner, she called all four kids by name and said "Dinner's ready!" It could be heard from a block away. If she had to call us a second time, it could be heard from four blocks away. She loved pets. We always had one or two dogs and a cat. Mom also loved birds. She had parakeets, canaries, doves and chickens. We felt very fortunate to live amongst so many pets that we loved. With the kids grown and on their own, Mom became a member of the Altar Society. She set-up the Altar for Mass and cleaned the linens. She did flower arrangements for the churches as well. Mom was a Eucharistic minister and brought communion to the home bound. She was a volunteer for the Cancer Society and drove patients to their appointments. Mom created beautiful hand-painted floral designs on china plates and even had a kiln installed in the garage to fire her plates. When my wife, Martha, was new to this country, Mom kept her company. Together they made trips to the fabric store and Mom gave her tips on sewing. They shared recipes like apple crisp, chocolate chip cookies and the best fried chicken. Mom enjoyed babysitting all the grandkids. She used to say, "I don't like to call it babysitting, I call it spending time with the grandkids." About five years ago, Mrs. Ferguson, who lived across the street, told me a story about Mom. Mrs. Ferguson said "Your mother is a very caring person. You know when Dr. King was killed, your mother came over to my house to say how sorry she was about what had happened and knows how terrible I must feel. That meant a lot to me." For over twenty-five years, Mom prayed weekly for an hour or two at the Perpetual Adoration Chapel located at Holy Cross Church. Mom was not a stranger to suffering. Early in life she developed asthma and migraine headaches. Then later heart problems and diabetes. Mom loved Jesus, Mary and Joseph. She longed to see them and know what Heaven is like. Father Seamus visited our mother shortly before she passed. Mom received the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick. She was at peace and ready to go. Now she is face-to-face with all the saints whose lives inspired her.