JUDY SMITH

Judy Smith, of Delaware, Ohio, passed away peacefully Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at Sarah Moore Home surrounded by caring staff. Judy was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio on October 17, 1948 to Willard S. Parsons and Mary Martha (Stewart) Parsons. She grew up in a loving family and community in Tiltonsville, Ohio. It was a close knit town in eastern Ohio where everyone knew everyone else. After she graduated from Warren Consolidated High School in 1966, she left home and traveled to Columbus to study Secretarial Sciences at Bliss Business College. While there, she met the love of her life, Don. They were married on August 23rd, 1969 at the Tiltonsville United Methodist Church and were married for 54 years. In 1969, Don was called to the Service and he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, departing in December of that year. After Basic Training, he and Judy traveled to his duty station at Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo Texas. They were there for 3 Y2 years and became parents of two children, Kathy and Michael. In typical Judy fashion, she made the best of her time there and rarely complained but longed for the green grass of home. In 1974, Don found a job in Columbus and they moved in the spring of that year. Don then found a new job at Flxible Bus Manufacturing in Delaware, Ohio in July and they moved there in November of that year. She found a home in Delaware and resided there ever since. She liked being part of a church family, first at William Street UMC and then at Asbury UMC, where she was active in the church family for many years. She especially liked being on the Worship Committee but got great pleasure in being a member of the church choir. Judy made many great friends through the church and choir and was very disappointed when she had to stop going to the choir functions. She was a homemaker for most of her time in Delaware, but worked as a Response Teller at Delaware County Bank for many years until she could no longer do it. Judy had many talents and interests. Traveling was something she loved to do and she and Don did as much as they could. She was also good at playing the piano, doing cross stitch, quilting and knitting. When she was able, she was also a good seamstress, making a number of items. She was an excellent cook and made a number of famous vegetarian meals. One of her great joys was traveling to Amish Country with her sister, Carol, and cousin Peggy. In her later years, she became housebound, with her best joys coming from sitting on her back porch watching the birds on the feeder and seeing her plants and flowers. In June of 2022, with Don no longer able to care for her at home, she joined the residents at Ohio Living Sarah Moore Home. While there she made some good friends as only Judy could and was taken good care of by Sarah Moore’s Aides and Nurses. Judy didn’t want to be away from home, but found good people to be around in her last days. Judy is survived by her loving husband, Don, of 54 years, daughter Kathy (Mike) Arms, of Utica, Ohio, son Michael of Delaware, granddaughters, Cecelia and Marsella. Also survived by loving sister, Carol (Gordon) Barnett of Michigan and brother, John (Cheryl) Parsons of Indiana. She was also close to cousin Peggy (Tom) Grady of Yorkville, Ohio and many cousins in eastern Ohio. Judy fought her Rheumatoid Arthritis for 50 years, having many operations, constantly going into and out of surgeries and recoveries. When one thing was taken care of, another came along. Somehow she managed to keep a positive outlook and hated being dependent and limited. If it wasn’t for the RA, the sky would have been the limit with her personality and abilities. Only a person with her inner strength, faith, and positive outlook could have managed her travails. To sum up Judy in a phrase, it has to be “If you knew Judy, you loved her. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Arthritis Foundation or to Asbury UMC in her name would be appreciated. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by the Snyder Rodman Funeral Center, 101 Valleyside Drive, Delaware, OH 43015. To share a memory with the family or to leave a condolence for the family, please visit: www.snyderfuneral homes.com.