Jeanne Smith

Jeanne E. Smith (nee Jeanne Louise Ells), 85, passed away peacefully on June 12th, 2025 at Brookdale Senior Living in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Born September 25th, 1939 in Camden, NJ to Frank and Alma Ells (nee Dettra), Jeanne was a ballet dancer and model, an artist and a gardener, a certified herbalist and an astrologer. A deep thinker and an intelligent conversationalist. She had a gentle way with children and animals. She liked to play piano. She believed in the power of positive thinking and she loved to joke around and put people at ease.

She helped her father build a lake house, her mother manage children’s wear stores, her church build a monastery, and her husband raise three successful children based on the core values of honesty, integrity and hard work. “Something worth doing is worth doing right”, she would say.

She married Edward Donald Smith on June 4, 1960 and they lived in Somerdale and Berlin, NJ. They spent some time in southern California early on in their marriage.

She worked for a Hollywood wardrobe company, the Marquardt Rocket Motor Company, Mobil Oil with her father, and was a talented ballet dancer who auditioned and was accepted to dance for the Radio City Rockettes in New York City. She had a knack for office work and computers and she retired from accounting in 1999, when she moved to Colorado after Eddie’s passing to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Jeanne was Catholic and enjoyed going to church when she could. She had a special connection with all things spiritual. She was a seeker. She found her home in Jesus.

Jeanne is survived by son Doug Smith (Nancy), daughter Sheila Smith, son Chris Smith, grandchildren Corbin (Jenny), Clayton, Raegan, and McKenna, brother Frank Ells (Shirley), sister Rita Hines, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and cherished friends.

She is now singing, dancing, and cracking jokes in heaven, unencumbered by a failing body. Her spirit set free. We miss her and look forward to laughing with her again some day.