Obituaries

Ellen Louise Smith

Photo of Ellen  Louise  Smith
Ellen Louise Smith, age 78, passed away Mon., April 25, 2016. Ellen was the first child of Arthur Boynton Holmes and Frances Rita Gearty Holmes. She was born April 25, 1938 in Boston, Mass. Ellen attended Saint John the Evangelist Elementary School in Cambridge, Mass., she was in the class of 1955. Upon graduation from high school, Ellen went to work in Boston for Boit, Dalton and Church insurance underwriters and later Maritime Underwriters (a subsidiary of Lloyd's of London). On June 22, 1958 Ellen married Edwin Burrell Smith at Saint Margaret's Church in Saugus, Mass. She and Edwin moved to Lawrence, Kan., where he attended the University of Kansas and she was employed by the Division of Correspondence of Study. All three children, Stephen Jay, Sharon Alice and Frank Sanford IV were born in Lawrence. When Edwin finished his education earning a PhD in Botany the family moved to Martinsville, N.J., where Edwin was a member of the faculty of Rutgers University and Ellen worked part-time for the newly established Rutgers Medical School. In 1966 the family moved to Fayetteville, Ark., where Edwin was employed as a faculty member and Ellen held several positions during her 29 years at the University of Arkansas. When Ellen worked as the administrative secretary to the Vice President and Provost, Charles A. Leone, she was selected by the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the National Secretaries Association as secretary of the year. During the last ten years of her employment with the university, Ellen worked as an administrative assistant to the Chairman of the Computer Engineering Department, Ronald Skeith. Ellen enjoyed attending her childrens band, choral and baseball events, reading, playing bridge and being a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority for 50 years. Ellen held every office in the sorority and was named Woman of the Year six times. Ellen was affectionately known by her sorority sisters as "Ernestine" because of her portrayal of Lilly Tomlin's Ernestine the telephone operator for several events. Ellen was a member of Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Fayetteville for over 25 years and as a member of the church's altar guild she taught religion classes, prepared the church for special holy day events, laundered the altar linens and assisted with wedding receptions. Ellen was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Frances Holmes; her in-laws, Sanford and Zephalena Smith and her brother, James Holmes. She is survived by her husband Edwin; one daughter, Sharon Mitchell and her husband Donnie of Rogers, Ark.; two sons, Stephen Smith of Houston, Texas; Frank Smith IV and his wife Sally of Fort Collins, Colo.; brother, Thomas Holmes and his wife Chris of Wichita, Kan.; sister, Maryann Smithhart and her husband Bill of Marion, Kan.; two brothers in law, Frank Smith and his wife Gwenda of Plano, Texas; Wilbur Smith and his wife Diane of Overland Park, Kan.; sister in law, Alice Considine of Halstead, Kan.; six grandchildren, Tiffany Bogan, Maggie Alexander, Zachary Smith, Rebecca Stage, Nathaniel Smith, Jeremiah Mitchell and four great-grandchildren Memorial Mass will be 11 a.m. Sat., May 7, 2016 at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church under the direction of Moore's Chapel in Fayetteville. Memorial contributions may be made to Circle of Life Hospice, 1201 NE Legacy Parkway, Bentonville, Ark. 72712 or Mercy Health Foundation, 2710 Rife Medical Lane, Rogers, Ark. 72758 To place an online tribute visit www.mooresfuneralchapel.com.

Published May 1, 2016

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