Risë Louise Smith

1952 - 2025

Risë Louise Smith, 72, of San Diego, CA, passed away on 4 March 2025 March 4, 2025, Risë Louise Smith, age 72, of San Diego, California passed away on March 4 at home with her loving family. Risë was born on September 16, 1952 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the youngest daughter of Leah Loretta (Nyffeler) Smith and Dallas Fisher Smith. She graduated from Elmhurst High School in Fort Wayne as salutatorian, earned a BA from Kalamazoo College in 1974, an MA in Anthropology from the University of Michigan in 1976. She earned a Masters in Library Science at San Jose State University in 1981.

She married Eugene Allan Fosnight on October 30, 1973 in Seoul, South Korea, where Gene was stationed in the military, and they celebrated 51 years of peace, harmony, and adventure in marriage. Their daughter Teal Helena Fosnight Smith was born on July 27, 1982. She and her husband D. Lee Thomsen have two sons Anden Rhys and Osian Henrik Thomsen. Upon Risë and Gene's retirement in 2016, they joined Teal and her family in San Diego. What a joy it was for Risë to be close to her family and what fun Grandma had with Anden and Osh in the years since!

Risë became Public Services Librarian at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota in 1984. Risë loved her career, collaborating with colleagues, and creating a welcoming and effective library for students and faculty.

In retirement in San Diego, Risë continued to love reading. She embraced native gardening as a hobby and created a urban yard of mostly native plants to make a home for local pollinators, birds, and other wildlife. A love of learning about other places and trying new foods took Gene and Risë on travel around the world.

Surviving Risë are her husband Eugene Allan Fosnight; her daughter Teal (Lee); two grandsons Anden and Osian; brother Paul Smith (Anngail) of New Braunfels, TX; brother Marc Smith (Beth) of Bloomington, IN; sister Gail Hamm of Fort Wayne, IN; sister-in-law Bivian Oldsen (Dan) of Fort Wayne, IN; several nieces and nephews; great and great great nieces and nephews.

No funeral or services will be held at Risë's death. Final disposition is in the Sierra Foothills of California.

Memorial donations may be made to the public library of your choice or to the Sarcoma Foundation of America. Risë and Gene each kept their own family names when they married. Please respect Risë by giving memorials in her name: Risë L. Smith.