Dolores Ellen Smith's Obituary
Dolores Ellen Smith, 81, peacefully passed away on Monday December 3, 2018 with her family by her side. Dolores was born in July of 1937 in Dallas, Texas to Len and Doris Hunt. She grew up in Garland and was a proud member of the Garland High School Class of 1955. She went on to earn her associates degree in accounting from Richland College. She married Ron Smith in 1965 and lovingly welcomed her son, Derek, into the family by adoption from the Gladney Center for Adoption in 1970. In 1973, they welcomed their beloved daughter, Darri, into the family also by adoption through the Gladney Center. Dolores fiercely loved her children and provided unwavering support to them her entire life. Dolores worked most of her career in administrative positions. She was a gifted writer and excellent at building relationships. She also worked many years at Treemont Retirement Community where she found great joy in loving on residents and making them feel special and valued. Dolores also spent countless hours over the years volunteering and serving her community. She served on her neighborhood association’s board where she helped bring her neighbors together through social events, helped newcomers feel welcome, and found much enjoyment in writing stories and taking pictures to share. In addition to spending time with her family and neighbors, Dolores also loved keeping in touch with her old friends from Garland. Dolores was a loving and devoted friend to all. She took a keen interest in friends and strangers alike and was an incredibly gifted listener. Her kind, loving spirit made everyone she encountered feel valued and loved. She had a unique ability to see the good in everyone and was relentless in her support and care for those around her. She was gracious and kind, even when it wasn’t deserved, and managed to remain optimistic and hopeful, even through the most difficult of times in her life. She was a gentle spirit and loved caring for all animals. Dolores was a role model for how we should all live…with compassion, generosity, and empathy. She was a beautiful soul who leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, and grace. Dolores’ grandsons, Griffin and Gage, were her heart and joy. They lovingly called her “Noni” and adored spending time with her. They described her as kind, gentle, nice and fun. They shared that their favorite memory of her is when they used her cane as a microphone to put on a singing performance and how much it made Noni laugh. They also shared how much they enjoyed cooking with Noni, especially when they made “toads in a hole.” Griffin, age 10, says that what he will miss most about his Noni is her smile and hearing her laugh. Dolores was a devoted and loving grandmother and her grandsons will be better people because they were loved by her. Loved ones that cleared the path for Dolores are her parents, Len and Doris Hunt and her former husband, Ron Smith. Loved ones that will miss Dolores until they meet again are her son and daughter-in-law, Derek and Lindsi Smith; her daughter and son-in-law, Darri and Jeremy Narramore; her grandsons, Griffin and Gage Smith; her sister and brother-in-law, Debby and Clyde Gibbons; her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Don and Beth Smith; and her nephew, nieces, and great nephews and nieces.A celebration of Dolores’ life will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, December 8, 2018 at The Wildwood Chapel, located on the grounds of Restland Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX 75243. The family respectfully asks that, in lieu of flowers, you consider a gift to The Edna Gladney Center. Donations may be made here: https://iamgladney.org
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