Nora O'Leary Smith

Nora Smith Obituary

Nora O'Leary Smith 1917~2003 On August 19, 2003, Nora O'Leary Smith died after a long, yet graceful battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 86-years-old. Nora was born in Sharon, Massachusetts on June 14, 1917 to Thomas and Anna Dolan O'Leary. With part of the O'Leary farm sold to the Sharon Country Club, Nora grew up with a golf club in hand. In her youth, she became a leader in women's golf throughout New England. She was also a gifted fashion designer. In high school she ran her own business in the art studio her father built for her, designing and sewing clothes for several clients. In 1939, Nora graduated from Massachusetts School of Art in Boston and joined the faculty. Nora remembered fondly being the youngest faculty member at the time, Cyrus Dallin was the oldest. With a dream in her heart, Nora moved to New York to launch her career in fashion. She became fashion editor of Ladies Home Journal magazine and stayed for 25 years until moving to Family Circle Magazine for another decade. She traveled the world on magazine assignments and loved her work with a passion. She retired at 73. Nora loved her family with equal passion. She met her stockbroker husband John J. Smith in New York, marrying in 1947. Nora and John raised their family of four in midtown Manhattan and made their children's education and happiness their top priority. Nora is survived by her four children: Stephen G. (Sally) Smith and Richard N. (Kathy) Smith of Washington, D.C., Wendy (Chris) Born of Philadelphia and Nancy (Michael) Nebeker of Sandy, Utah and 12 grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband and parents. In her almost eight years in Utah, Nora has been cared for by many loving and compassionate souls. Our love and gratitude goes out to Jennifer, Kevin, Nikki, Luther, and all those at Silverado who made her life so full. To Yolande, Jolene, Mo, Suzanne, Adrianne, Carolee, Lillianne, Betty and all the angels at Caresource Hospice, words cannot express our appreciation adequately. There is a deep debt of gratitude owed to Dr. Steven Fehlauer who attended Nora until the end with love and great wisdom. A memorial service will be held to honor Nora's life Thursday August 28, at the Sandy Granite View Stake Center at 9880 South 3100 East at 6 p.m. Burial services will be held in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

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Published by Deseret News from Aug. 24 to Aug. 25, 2003.

Memories and Condolences
for Nora Smith

2 Entries

marjorie rosenthal

August 30, 2003

dear stephen, wendy, nancy and richard--it was with great sadness that i read the news about your mother-- my boss at lhj, co-worker at fc and friend. (you may remember me as marjy magidson.)i was so fortunate to work in the company of someone so creative...and someone who appreciated and encouraged creativity in others. i remember the journal years: piles of fabrics in nora's office, the collection of hand paperweights on the little round table, young smith children serving as occasional models, and the day when your mother gathered her staff and announced that we no longer had to call her "miss o'leary" as had been the lhj custom for decades, but we could now call her "nora". dear nora...we had the best time together at family circle where i wrote the copy for her beautiful special issues. i would sit in her office and present the pages to her, and she would study the words over her lunch of blueberry yogurt. we shared many laughs and special times over the years... nora hosted a backyard party at 308 in my honor prior to my wedding...my sister and i joined the o'smiths for a christmas brunch...your parents traveled to washington for my wedding...when wendy was pregnant with ian, i told nora my own happy mother-to-be news and your mom said "that's wonderful...now i can be grandmother to two!" nora was the very model of a modern working mother... she took pride in each of her children...starting each day at the journal with a cup of coffee in the hall--and a report on the smith children. i hope that these reflections from an old friend will bring you solace at this difficult time. i know that a lifetime of your own sweet memories will comfort you. my sister jane, your parents' longtime neighbor, joins me and my husband steve in sending our love and heartfelt sympathy to you and your families. marjorie rosenthal

Michael Nebeker

August 25, 2003

Nora was the most wonderful mother-in-law a guy could have ever hoped for. Our family will miss her earthly presence sorely.

Michael

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