Sharlene Smith Gaither's Obituary
Sharlene (Sharly, Sugar, Mom, Grandma, Pea-pie) Smith Gaither, 86, died peacefully on Monday morning. She was the beloved wife of Bill for 64 years and his college sweetheart for 68 years.
Our mom was a beautiful, loving soul who found immense joy in being a wife, mother, and grandmother. She retired from teaching when her children were born (she threatened to become our substitute teacher when we were at West Jr. High and Richardson High School) and she focused the next 60 years of her life creating a warm home, a loving family life and so many happy memories to cherish.
Sharlene loved her family, a good joke, a funny movie, loading up the station wagon with kids (seatbelts?) for football games, a sip of Canadian Club and water, wine or Goldenrod (don't ask), a warm Krispy Kreme and cold diet coke, traveling with Bill, the kids and grandkids, and her sisters. She had an infectious laugh and a joyful smile; her face lit up when someone she loved walked into the room and she always was at the door to wave goodbye. Mom cried every time she watched "An Affair to Remember". She collected verses and quotes she found meaningful and would send them to us; we found 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and Dear Abby's "Timeless Tips for a Happy Marriage" in her desk this week. She lived both of these clippings daily. Mom had many personal quotes-"poor folks have poor ways" (from her mother) cooking our "Last Supper" the night before going back to college (she was a great cook), and "people are just dying to get in there" every time we would drive by a cemetery. Sharlene read the obituaries everyday-she enjoyed reading about other’s lives and “knew it would be a good day if her name wasn’t in there.”
Sharlene was very proud of her Texas Panhandle upbringing, being a child of the depression and the values her parents instilled, she graduated from Texas Tech University with 2 bachelor's degrees, was a charter member of the Richardson Pi Beta Phi Alumnae chapter and the recipient of its Undercover Angel Award. After Bill's retirement from oral surgery, they actively farmed in Van Buren, Arkansas, developed that family farm property for the community, and enjoyed traveling with friends, family, and colleagues.
Sharlene is survived by Bill, their children, Karla Iacampo, Karen Gaither, Michael "Mikey" Gaither, their granddaughters Andrea and Michelle Iacampo and Christina (Bryan) Melcher, her sister, Doris Morland, Bill's sisters, Barbara Hampton and Judy Hubartt and many nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her parents, Jasper and Mary Smith, her brother, Lawrence Smith, her sister, Colleen Lloyd, and her granddaughter, Joanna Iacampo.
A private burial will be held at Restland Cemetery and celebration of her life will be held Friday, May 14, 2021 at 12:00 at Saint Andrew United Methodist Church, 5801 West Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas. Link for the live stream: https://www.standrewumc.org/memorial
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, or the philanthropy of your choice.
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