Joanna Ruth Smith, 57, died Monday, Feb. 11, 2013.
A memorial service is 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, at Galbreaith Pickard Funeral Chapel.
Joanna was born in Baltimore, Md., to David and Nancy Clarke on May 21, 1955. She was the youngest of three children. Her brothers are Donald R. Clarke (deceased) and Jeffrey D. Clarke. She graduated from Towson High School in 1973 and afterwards graduated from Bryman Medix School, which prepared her to work in the medical field. She lived in Maryland until she married Terry R. Smith during a candlelight service at Calvary Baptist Church in Towson, Md., on Dec. 29, 1978, where her grandfather had been a minister. She moved to Virginia for a short time until Terry was discharged from active duty in the Air Force.
They moved to Layton, Utah, where they lived for five years. Her children, Kristen Letitia and David Deforest, were both born there. She worked at McKay Dee Hospital in the business office until moving to Texas after Terry took a job at Carswell AFB. They moved to Weatherford in 1984, where Joanna became a “stay-at-home” mom. In 1996 she rejoined “the working class” and worked at several medical offices, finally working for Dr. John Adnot in Fort Worth where she retired after working there for 13 years. It was a place she loved being a part of and treasured the friends she met there.
Joanna’s interests included sports, sailing and crafts but mostly time with family. Her love of sports started in elementary school where she played basketball. In junior high, her interests expanded to field hockey and lacrosse where she played all three sports while in high school. She treasured the times she went sailing with her Dad on “Popeye” in Busch River, where they would stop for crab cakes. Being with her family gave her the most joy and were times she treasured.
She is survived by her husband, Terry; children, Kristen Lawler and husband, Philip Lawler, David Smith and wife, Ashley Smith, and their daughter, Karlie Smith; parents, David and Nancy Clarke; brother, Jeff Clarke and his wife, Evelyn; sister-in-law, Jeanne Clarke; in-laws, Edward Smith and Anneliese Smith; father-in-law, Neil Kretzer; brother-in-law, Tom Smith; sister-in-law, Tina Thompson and husband, John; nieces and nephews, Jennifer Clarke-Rios, Michelle Clarke-Roark and husband, Myke, Jeanette Clarke, Colton Thompson and Mitchell Thompson.
Preceding her in death was her brother, Donald R. Clarke.
Galbreaith Pickard Funeral Chapel
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