Maralyn Mack Smith

1942 - 2023

Maralyn Mack Smith

1942 - 2023

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of our mother, Maralyn Mack Smith, age 80, on January 30, 2023, in Lake Orion, Michigan.

Born September 3, 1942, in Toledo, Ohio to the late Ernie and Esther Mack, she was raised among many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins in the Toledo area. She was active in Girl Scouts and an avid swimmer and golfer. After graduating from Sylvania High School in 1960, she chose to put her athletic talents aside and pursue her calling to help others, studying psychology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. There she affiliated with Gamma Phi Beta and met her husband of 57 years, James Arnold Smith III, of Newark, Ohio (deceased 2020). Active in social work in Ohio and Nebraska, she dedicated most of her time to her husband and three children as she moved with Jim's job to four states and Belgium, finally retiring near Sarasota, Florida in 2003. Her involvement in scouting, Gamma Phi Beta, and the local Lutheran churches, along with her gifts of hospitality and neighborly kindness, provided her with a sense of home and many cherished friendships everywhere she went. In 2020, she moved to Michigan to be cared for by her youngest daughter. Most remembered for her commitment to family, friends, and anyone in need; sense of adventure and humor; incessant desire for knowledge and overflowing creativity; love of travel; and for chipping a hole-in-one on her 80th birthday, she will be greatly missed by all whom she touched along the way.

She is survived by son, Matthew Smith (Serenity) of Alexandria, Virginia; and grandchildren, Abby, Brendan, Graham; step-granddaughter, Nola; daughter, Sarah Indra (Thorsten) of Giessen, Germany; and grandchildren, Margaux Mueller (Hendrik), Kai, Noah, Salome; daughter, Natalie Arnold (Matt) of Oxford, Michigan; and grandchildren, Jack, Simon, Sydney; in-laws Carol (Rice) Mack of Clare, Michigan, and Lynne (Smith) and Dave Koblentz of Dublin, Ohio; nieces and nephews, Bill, Dave, Donna, Jeff, Julie; and many beloved cousins. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Larry Mack of Lewiston, Michigan.

A memorial service will be held at Swan Lake Mausoleum in Toledo Memorial Park in Toledo, Ohio on March 18, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. Visitation begins at 9:30 a.m. Friends and family are invited to come and celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers we ask for donations to be made to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, Sarasota, Florida; Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Lake Orion, Michigan; or the Alzheimer's Association.