Barbara Smith

Watch Live Stream HERE

    Barbara Ann Smith, age 86, of White Rock, New Mexico, formerly of Roosevelt, Utah, passed away February 14, 2024, in Los Alamos, New Mexico, surrounded by all her children.
    Barbara was born August 28, 1937, in San Antonio, Texas, to James Marvin and Olga Mae Wallis Boring.
    Barbara attended school and graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic High School for girls in San Antonio Texas. At age twenty-two she was an airline stewardess for Delta Airlines when she met Bob Rock who worked for Braniff Airlines. Bob was twenty-three when they had a son, Thomas Michael. Bob died in an accident when their son was only a few months old. Five years later Barbara met and fell in love with Don Smith who also had a son, Clint. They married when Clint was (8) and Tommy (5). The two were married on July 1,1966 and the big adventure began. Barbara and Don began raising their family in typical fashion. They moved to Roswell, NM in 1966 where son Laney was born then to Flagstaff Arizona where daughter Cara was born in 1969 rounding out the Smith family. They lived in Louisiana for several years and then landed for good in Roosevelt, Utah in 1975. For the next 25 years, Barbara and Don raised 4 children of their own and one adopted nephew Thomas, all of whom she packed a lunch for every day and often included an encouraging note.  
    Barbara played the organ at nearly every Sunday mass, taught Special Ed., drove a school bus, worked as an editor for the local newspaper, chaperoned school trips, raised a garden, raised wolves, and was elected to the Utah State Board of Education.  In 1983 Don accepted a job in Cameroon Africa where they resided for 3 years. Barbara taught English at a nearby Catholic school and was active in the local Cameroonian Catholic Church. In 1986 they moved back to their home in Roosevelt and Don commuted to Africa monthly for 12 years while Barbara continued her passion of teaching Special Ed.   

    In 1995 the two retired and bought their dream car, a Dodge Viper. They joined a Viper Club spending the next 6 years traveling to Viper rallies, making great new friends, spending time together and with their children and grandchildren. Sadly, Barbara lost the love of her life in a tragic accident in 2001, just 3 weeks after their 35th  wedding anniversary. Barbara kept the dream alive and continued for thousands of miles flying solo with her Viper family. She drove her Vipers until she was eighty years old. She said it was getting too tough to push in the clutch anymore and she voluntarily handed the keys over to her children with instructions to drive them safely and “never eat or drink in the cars.”  
    In Roosevelt, she continued taking care of the family acreage and home, playing music for the Church, writing, baking, sewing, visiting the sick, helping those in need and seeking out anyone she could be useful too until she decided to move to New Mexico to be closer to her children in her older age.  
    She sadly left her home of 40 years to begin a new chapter in Los Alamos where again, she made countless friends. She was an active member of the Senior Center, Bridge Club, and of course a proud member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. By her dedication though, her first love was truly St. Helens Catholic Church of Roosevelt. While in Los Alamos she completed dozens of complex needle points, custom quilts for all members of the family, was a winner of 4 blue ribbons for craft entries in the county fair and enjoyed every kind of puzzle known to man, especially crosswords.
    Barbara mailed thousands of letters, Christmas and Easter cards, birthday cards, wedding, anniversary, graduation, and sympathy cards. Her unique wit and since of humor gave laughter to everyone she knew.
    She spent most of her days on earth thinking of others and contributed much of her wholesome character to being raised in an innocent time in history. Discovered in her home office was a booklet filled with “today I am grateful for” entries. Barbara Smith taught her children to love God, love one another, love your country, respect women, give to the poor, visit the widow and the sick, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, lend a helping hand, be patient and kind, put on a happy face, even if you don’t feel like it.
    She will be greatly missed, and the world will not be the same without her.
    Barbara is survived by her children, Clint Joseph (Rhea) Smith, Huffman, TX; Thomas Michael (Elizabeth) Rock; Laney Alan (Suzanne) Smith, both of White Rock, NM: Cara Renee Smith, Rifle, CO; grandchildren, Cheyenne West (Daniel Maldonado), Chantry West, Nathan Pittman, Katy (Justin) McKay, Rachel Smith (Stephen Newberry), Lucas (Erica) Rock, Jimmy (Lisa) Liberty; great-grandchildren, Josh and Brooklyn Rodriguez, Liam Maldonado, Wynter and Goldyn Rock, Sonny and Solomon Liberty and Caidence Kennard, Abigail McKay and one on the way; 1 brother, James (Joyce) Boring, San Antonio, TX; many nieces and nephews, specifically Mitya Thomas Jamail; two bonus sons, Rumzi Khoury and Bruce LeMoine as well as her beloved four legged roommate Lily, who was always by her side, or in her lap.
      Preceded in death by her husbands, Robert J. Rock (born 08/14/1936, died 4/17,1961) and Donald L. Smith (Born 12/30/1939, died 7/25/2001); 1 sister, Mary Jane Briggs; and her parents. Also, Tinkerbell  her cat of 18 years.
    The funeral service will be on March 9, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at the St. Helen’s Catholic Church in Roosevelt, Utah, with a rosary at 10:00 a.m.
    The burial will be in the Ioka Cemetery.
    There will be a memorial service in Los Alamos County with the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish. A time and location to be determined later.