Margaret "Peggy" Jean Smith

SMITH, MARGARET ‘Peggy”- Formerly of Clarkston and Flint, age 85, passed away Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Clausen Manor of Waterford. 

Memorial service will be held at 12pm Saturday, December 20, 2025, at Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Chaplain James Dewey officiating.

Visitation will be at 11am Saturday till the time of service at the funeral home.

Margaret “Peggy” Jean Smith (Nothoff) was born in a suburb of Buffalo, NY on March 29, 1940 to parents Helen (Downing) and Henry Nothoff. As a small child, the family moved to Detroit, where Peggy attended elementary school. The family Then moved to Birmingham, where Peggy attended Middle School and most of High School at Seaholm until moving to Flint in 1958. Although Peggy liked to remark how upset she was to “have to move in the middle of senior year,” she attended Central High School and developed many lifelong friendships and and a love for Flint, MI.

Peggy attended two years at Michigan State, then joined the workforce and became a flight attendant, “Kiwi,” for American Airlines. She then worked for Buick Motor Division, where she got to work in the same building as her father, Henry, and where she met her beloved Don. She worked for many years at NE Research and then joined her favorite workplace, Bishop Airport. She was the Assistant to the Director for 24 years at Bishop.

Don and Peggy married on December 31,1972, in Las Vegas, and lived in Flint raising their family in the Westgate subdivision, where they developed many close friendships with neighbors and friends. The neighborhood hosted many events, including an annual Memorial Day Parade, where they blocked off the neighborhood streets for the kids to proudly parade self-decorated bikes. Some of Peggy’s favorite memories of Flint were Westgate “shenanigans,” the Nothoff family dinners/brunches at the University Club, hot air ballooning, attending Michigan Football games (though Peggy was a Spartan fan!), playing bridge, attending Dancing Club, happy hour with her dear friends, volunteering, and traveling.

The family moved to Clarkston in 1987, where they remained until 2021, when they advanced to Lourdes Assisted Living then Memory Care in Waterford. Peggy developed Alzheimer’s disease and was blessed to have remained unaware of Don’s passing in January 2025, often reporting he was napping in the other room.

Peggy made a positive impact on all who knew her, with an unparalleled love of family, friends, and community. She was a passionate volunteer as a board member of the Flint Junior League, REACH (a runaway shelter for youth), YWCA, and United Way. She fondly recalled working on the Gatsby Garden Party at Applewood, volunteering at the Newborn Nursery at Hurley Medical Center, and worked diligently on the Captain Phogg Hot Air Balloon Classics. She could often be found volunteering at Neithercut Elementary, working concession stands for the Flint Kippettes Synchronized Swim Team, attending PTO events at Powers Catholic High School, and collecting donations at the annual Bratwurst Saturday at Boyne Highlands.

Peggy had a great sense of purpose, wonderful sense of humor, and loved her family and friends fiercely. She was an amazing mom, beloved “Gram” and “Great-Gram.” She loved to host delicious dinners for family and friends and spend quality time with them. She had a twinkle in her eye and a quick, witty personality. She gave excellent advice and it was often sought out by her friends, family, and even many of her children’s friends. Her most important roles were Wife, Mother, Sister, and Friend, and she is often described as “the best there ever was.”

Peggy was preceded in death by her dear husband Don after 52 years of marriage; parents Helen and Henry and beloved brother Bob, mother-in-law Beatrice (Cunningham) Smith, father-in-law James Smith, sisters-in-law Bonnie (Radke) Nothoff, Isabel (Smith) Mayer, Fran (Smith) Odetter; brothers-in-law Jim Smith, Bud Mayer, Bob Odette; son-in-law Jimmy Jando; grandson Blake; and oldest friend “TF” Ruthann Phillips.

She is survived by brothers Tom and Jim, children Angie Feltz, Pam Jando, Janeen (Jim) Smith, Terry (Tom) Bird, Martin “Elliot” Smith, Donna (Randy) Benford; grandchildren Johnathon, Maggie, Nicholas Feltz; Tom and Emily McNairy, Lee and Gus Haley, Zeb and EJ Smith, Justine, Brett (Karly) Benford, Andrea Steiner; great-grandchildren James and Olivia, any many loved nieces and nephews.

Peggy lived an amazing life, and will be sorely missed, but the family is comforted in knowing Don and Peggy are reunited.

Donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or Hospice of Michigan.