Sonja E Smith

Sonja Elaine Smith (70) of Clute, Texas passed away Sunday, November 30th, 2014.
Sonja was born Sonja Elaine Aucoin on December 28, 1943, in Port Arthur, Texas – but spent most of her life in Lake Jackson, growing up with loving parents, Walter and Mildred Aucoin, and siblings Tom, Becky and Patty. She attended Brazosport High School, where strong bonds of friendship were developed and maintained throughout her life.
Sonja married Gary Smith in 1980, and the couple lived in Texas, Maryland, Colorado, Illinois, and Puerto Rico. Sonja loved to travel and see new places – especially ones with beautiful beaches. The couple ventured to Hawaii, the Bahamas, Florida, up and down the East Coast, Belize, the British Virgin Islands and all over Mexico – but her favorite beach of all was a two mile stretch of white sand, just north of San Juan, Puerto Rico where she could be found every day walking.
Sonja was a "sunshine girl", and took pride in her yard and her ability to grow hibiscus bushes, trees and flowers – and thoroughly enjoyed harvesting and cooking with fruits from her lemon and orange bushes. She was known for having a bag of lemons ready for anyone who would take them and for delivering lemon pies to neighbors and friends throughout the year.
She loved to cook – and was happiest cooking holiday meals for her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandson. She handed down many recipes for home cooked meals, and will be missed as a "phone call away" for her daughters on how to make the perfect pot roast or cream gravy.
Along with her husband, Gary, Sonja is survived by three children Tina Gregory, Jerrilin Lashlee and Todd Smith (Michelle); five grand-children Shelby Moore (Jerrid), Lane Smith, Morgan Weinfeld, Molly and Matthew Riquelmy; and great-grandson Ryder Moore; mother Mildred Aucoin, brother Thomas Aucoin and sister, Rebecca Reneau (Mike); nieces Shawn Land (David) and Marsha Webb (Rodney), nephews Wade Aucoin (Kendra) and Reginal Burnet (Tandy) and many beloved others including aunts, uncles and cousins.
Sonja was a dutiful and loving daughter, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and friend who will be missed by all. She is surely in heaven – playing a game of yahtzee while listening to "Delilah" and keeping watch over us through the buzz of the hummingbirds she loved so well.
A memorial service will take place at 2:00 PM Saturday, December 13th at Restwood Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sonja's favorite charities: St. Judes Children's Hospital (www.st.jude.org), or The Wounded Warrior Project (support.woundedwarriorproject.org).