Cairn I. Smith

Pawtucket – Cairn I. Smith, 71, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 13, 2025, after a brief but brave battle with cancer. She was the beloved wife of Charles S. Jankowski for over forty-two years. Born in Attleboro, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late Gardner, Sr. and Isobel (Carruth) Smith.
Cairn lived a life full of care, compassion, and laughter. She graduated from Bryant University and worked in Human Resources at Fram and Brown University. Cairn loved the ocean and saltwater fishing. Throughout the summer months, you could find her swimming, canoeing, clamming, and crabbing. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles, gardening, cooking, and baking, especially her famous apple pie! As incredible as her apple pie and chocolate peanut butter bars were, her loved ones will miss her kind heart and giving spirit the most. Cairn was a selfless caretaker and pillar of strength for her family. Between 1979 and 2024, she donated 13 gallons of blood (107 donations!) to the Rhode Island Blood Center. She will also be remembered for her quick wit, humor, and stories that kept her friends in stitches.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by two brothers, Mark Smith and his wife, Beverly O'Connor, and their daughter, Aimee O'Connor, all of Pawtucket, and Gardner A. Smith, Jr. of Lincoln; a niece, Cailee Smith and her husband, Michael Secinaro, of Seattle, WA, and beloved friends that she shared her life with for many decades. She was the aunt of the late Kyle G. Smith.
Relatives and friends are welcome to attend VISITATION on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in CHEETHAM Funeral Home, 1012 Newport Ave., Pawtucket. Online condolences welcomed at www.CheethamFuneralHome.com