Daphne Lee "Dziekan" Smith

Dover, New Hampshire: Daphne Lee Smith, 80, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, January 18th, 2026 at Spring Village at Dover.

She was born on March 31st, 1945 in Kenosha, Wisconsin; the daughter of Edward and Shirley (Riske) Dziekan.

Daphne was a stay-at-home mom in California caring for her two children until she joined the work force. Then she worked for the Air Force for nearly twenty years, before relocating to Las Vegas, Nevada. She spent twenty-seven years in Nevada where she worked as a bookkeeper for several offices and eventually sending out billings for her son-in-law's company. She was a hard worker, who worked until she was 75. She usually held down two jobs at once, which she admittedly did to support her shopping habit (Daphne had a passion for shopping).

She loved "Chicos", shoes, purses, jewelry and always presented herself like a lady. She probably wore high heels way longer than she should have. Daphne was a great cook and baker. She enjoyed doing so with, and for, her family and friends. She had a passion for cooking and crime shows, reading and playing games. But Daphne loved nothing more than her family. She loved spending time with her children and eventually her grandchildren - she never missed a birthday party or dance recital. She was an avid hockey fan when attending her grandson's games. She made sure to visit her siblings, nieces and nephews nearly every year. She also loved taking road trips with Craig. Making sure to find the best stops along the way and to visit as many Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives restaurants as they could.

Daphne is survived by her daughter, Andrea Reinstein and her husband Scott Reinstein, of Rye, New Hampshire, and her son, Jeff Smith, of Long Beach, California; and her grandson, Joshua Reinstein, and her granddaughter, Brianna Katsnelson and her husband Ruslan Katsnelson. Daphne is also survived by her sister, Jackie Dziekan and her partner Warren Smith, and her brothers, Danny Dziekan and his wife Linda, John Dziekan, and Joe Dziekan. She is also survived by her four nephews and nieces and their families.

She was pre-deceased by her partner of nearly 30 years, Craig Carrigan; her parents, Edward and Shirley Dziekan; her brother, David Dziekan, her sister-in-law, Kim Dziekan; niece, Stacey Dziekan.

A celebration of Daphne's life will be held in the Wadsworth, Illinois area in the Summer of 2026.

Please sign our online guestbook - with memories, thoughts or prayers for Daphne and her family, by going to www.purdyfuneralservice.com