Edith "Edie" Smith

Edith Eleanor Dorrance Smith - always known as “Edie” – will best be remembered by everyone for her indomitably cheerful, kind and friendly spirit. With her delightful, gentle wit and creativity, contagious enthusiasm and endless curiosity, she always had unique thoughts and perspectives on life to share with her loved ones. Because she helped others become their best selves, she gathered new friends and new “family” wherever she went. Edie was born Jan 28, 1929 in Utica, NY and grew up in Camden, a small town in upstate New York. Edie’s father, Neil Hill Dorrance, was president of a local, family-owned bank in Camden, but his real passion was history, especially genealogy. Her mother, Helen Holfelder Dorrance, was trained as a nurse. Both her parents served in WWI before their marriage. Edie had a very happy childhood playing with her brother Richard (whom she always affectionately called “Dick”), her double first cousins John and Joey Dorrance (and, later, their younger sister Susan), and neighboring friends. They often walked down to the river to swim and fish, and spent part of every summer at the seashore. In winter, they sledded and skied in the deep snow near their home. Edie studied music at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She reminded her brother Richard of a little songbird with her petite size and exceptionally beautiful high soprano voice. She loved operettas and musicals such as the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Sound of Music, South Pacific, and Oklahoma. Although she chose not to pursue a singing career, she sang for many years, frequently as a soloist, in her church choir at St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in St. Louis. Edie met her husband-to-be, Alan T. Smith (“Al”), in Boston while she was at the Conservatory and he was studying at MIT. They were married in Camden on December 27, 1952 and had 50 wonderful years together. They had three children: daughter Karen, born in Boston, son Dale and youngest daughter Laura, both born in St. Louis. Al and Edie bought their family home at 74 Decorah Drive in Creve Coeur, Missouri (a suburb of St. Louis) in 1958 and lived there until Al passed away in 2002. Edie was never concerned about “making a name” for herself. The activities that gave her greatest enjoyment and satisfaction revolved around her family and friends. For example, she was a Girl Scout leader extraordinaire who embraced her role wholeheartedly and enriched the lives of all the girls in her troop, including her daughters. One of her fondest memories was of her very first camping trip with the new troop, in which she was faced with a huge downpour that turned the road into a quagmire, an emergency evacuation of most of the girls to the hayloft of a nearby barn for the night, and a trip to the hospital with one girl. Edie credited the assistance of Al and another scout dad for everyone’s “survival” that night, but Edie really showed her mettle during that extreme challenge, too. Although she probably (justifiably!) felt like quitting after that weekend, she continued leading the troop through many more great adventures for over fifteen years. Her award-winning leadership was so successful that she was even recruited to train other troop leaders for the St. Louis Girl Scout Council. In later life, Edie served as the family historian and repository of interesting stories about her ancestors and the ancestors of her husband, Al. She particularly enjoyed anecdotes that brought the personalities of her various ancestors to life. She gathered huge amounts of information through her genealogy searches and compiled several memoirs about family members, including one about her mother’s line. She was proud to be a Mayflower descendant, descended from Priscilla Mullins and John Alden. She even traced her ancestry back to Charlemagne and other notable historic figures. Both Edie and Al possessed a sense of adventure and endless curiosity about the world. Edie always felt that Al introduced her to more interests, hobbies, and places than she could ever have imagined. One of their greatest passions was traveling. While their three children were growing up, the family took many memorable vacation trips to the different regions of the continental US. During that stage of their lives, they also explored the world from home through the many books and magazines that filled the house. In 1972, they “brought the world home” by hosting a Norwegian exchange student, Mette-Irene Sund, for a year. Mette truly became like another daughter to Edie and Al (as well as close friend and sister to Karen). The Smith and Sund families have visited back and forth numerous times since Mette returned home and remain close friends to this day. A turning point in Edie and Al’s lives came when Mette introduced Al to the Scandinavian sport of orienteering (in which contestants find orange and white markers in the woods using a map and compass). This sport became Al’s passion and, following his retirement from Monsanto, Al and Edie began traveling together to orienteering meets all over the world. While Al ran in the meets, Edie went sightseeing to the historic areas wherever they were staying. They located and met several Holfelder relatives while searching for old genealogical records in the small town in Germany where Edie’s mother’s family originated. Edie and Al also started an orienteering supply catalog business, A&E Orienteering, Inc. During ‘O’ meets in the US, they would set up a large “store” booth, which they both manned, except while Al was running - then Edie handled the booth herself or with help from long-time friends, Peggy and Mark Earley, and others. Edie and Al hosted more international visitors after Mette, perhaps most notably Zoran Krivocapic and his daughter Sonja from Croatia. They had met Zoran through orienteering and subsequently hired him to develop orienteering maps for clubs throughout the US. Zoran lived with Edie and Al for approximately three years while working for them in the US. His daughter Sonja also came to the US and lived with Al and Edie’s daughter Laura and her family for two years while attending pharmacy school. Zoran recently wrote the following letter (excerpt) to Edie: “I often think about how much good you, Al and your whole family brought in the lives of my family. Any time a conversation comes up I like to talk about Al and Edie Smith who changed my life and made me believe even stronger in goodness of people. Here we say that you know who your friends are when you are in trouble.... I don’t think I will ever be able to thank you enough for taking me under your roof, as a complete stranger.” In 2008, Edie moved to Sandpoint to live with Karen’s family. Shortly after arriving there, she joined the Community Assistance League, the Pend Oreille Art Council, and the Friends of the Library, where she developed many new friendships. In 2010, Edie decided to move to Luther Park and immediately proceeded to make friends within a whole new community of wonderful people. “Scooter” (as she was affectionately dubbed) lit up the hallways with her cheerful smile, twinkling eyes and sparkling spirit. Although Edie dealt with a number of physical difficulties throughout her life, she never complained or stopped smiling. She had the ability to accept the things she couldn’t change and the courage to adjust her outlook. She saw the bright side of everything and tried to help others see it, too. Edie had a special way with people that always made them feel welcome and at home. Pastor Steve Neuder said “She brought out the best in people.” In a recent letter, Peggy Earley told her “You and Al have been two of the most remarkable people that we’ve been blessed to call our friends. We truly have cherished our friendship and the times (and adventures) we’ve spent together. You will always be remembered as such a cheerful person who spread so much joy and love to everyone lucky enough to encounter you. Edie, you truly have a knack in relating to others – I remember seeing you work the A&E Orienteering field shop on more occasions that I can count and marveling how easily you managed all the customers and friends that came by – always with a smile, a twinkle in the eye, and your ever-present kindness. Thank you for all you’ve done to make everyone feel important and welcome! Please know that you have genuinely enriched our lives by knowing you. What a wonderful legacy! Thank you for allowing us into your circle of friendship....” Edie Smith was dearly loved and will be sorely missed by all the people she touched throughout her life, but we who are left behind will also celebrate her life and the happy reunion with Al that she was looking forward to so much in her final days. She is survived by 3 children: Karen (Ed) Robinson of Sandpoint, Dale (Deana) Smith of Baldwin, KS, Laura (Chuck) Kaiser of Salt Lake City, UT; 1 brother: Richard (Terry) Dorrance of Palo Alto, CA; 6 grandchildren Ben (Katie Kosaya) Robinson, Connor Robinson, Adam Smith, Nik (Dwaune Harris) Smith, Katherine Kaiser, Victoria Kaiser; 1 great grandson Micah Harris; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband and parents. A memorial service for Edie will be conducted 10:00AM, Saturday, July 28, 2012 at 1st Lutheran Church with Pastor Dave Olson officiating. She will be inurned with her husband Al in St. Paul’s Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. The family suggests memorials be given to Bonner Community Hospice, PO Box 1448, Sandpoint, Idaho 83864.