Jean E. Smith

Jean E. Smith a longtime resident of Mahopac, NY passed away peacefully on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 with her loving family by her side.  Jean was born on September 7, 1935 in Carbondale, PA, the seventh child of thirteen children born to James A. and Mary (Wengrzynek) Moore.

Jean was a graduate of Carbondale High School where she excelled in music, playing the clarinet and piano.  Following graduation she worked at a summer camp for children, where she met her future husband, Joe and later held jobs in a local bank and then IBM.

Jean married Joseph J. Smith at St. Rose of Lima Church in Carbondale where they were both parishioners on January 25, 1958.  Jean left IBM to raise their family which includes their sons, Joe (Karen) and Jim (Karen); daughters, Cathy Vollmer, Maureen Lavin (Michael) and Carolyn Smith (Don Elsey).

She partnered with her closest friends, Joan Greenman and Bonnie Cohen to establish “Whoo Designs”, a boutique clothing line known for its use of crystals in its designs.  Jean’s love of music remained with her all of her life.  She began teaching piano lessons to neighborhood children which morphed into a larger group of children in the Mahopac community.  All these years later, some of the children she taught, now adults, are accomplished pianists in their own right.

“Jazzy Jean” was known as a generous, kind, fun loving person who never took herself too seriously.   She was very athletic in her younger years and enjoyed playing tennis with her friends and family.  Jean was the consummate hostess who enjoyed having family and friends to her home for a cookout, dinner, or holiday celebrations.

After suffering two strokes at the age of 60, her health slowly declined. And even as the last five years have been challenging health wise, she never complained of the pain she was in, never waivered in her sense of humor, her love of family and her zest for life.

She and Joe were able to spend 12 winters in North Myrtle Beach, SC where they joined four other couples with whom they knew from their high school days.  Although most have since passed, the men enjoyed golfing, the ladies shopping and as couples, dinners and happy hours together.  They all met each other’s children and grandchildren when they would come to visit the NMB sunbirds.

Family was the most important thing in Jean’s life and she never failed to make each one feel special and loved.  Her husband, Joe passed away on December 6, 2016 after 58 years of marriage.  In addition to her children, she is survived by her much beloved grandchildren, Kayla (Jim), Karl, Brian, Casey, Matthew, Kelleigh, Emily, Owen, Michael, Allie and Katie; her twin nieces, Melinda (Lenny and their daughter, Samantha) and Jennifer (Dan) of whom she thought of as her own daughters, as well as many other nieces and nephews living out of the area, with whom she greatly enjoyed seeing when they were able to get together at family gatherings.  She is also survived by her siblings, Elizabeth Laughney, Barbara Price, Margaret McDonald (William), James Moore, Patricia Resine (John), Catherine Penska, Ann Ryan and Terry Talarico (Tony) and her sisters-in-law, Suzanne Outman and Carol Smith.  She was predeceased by her sisters, Monnie and Alice Moore and her brothers, Joseph and Francis Moore.

Jean’s children wish to thank her caregivers, Rose, Joan, Kayann, Shelly, Alcian, Kooreen and her physical therapist, Phil for their kindness and dedication to making the twilight years of her life more bearable.

Visiting will be held on Thursday, May 27 from 5-8 pm at Joseph J. Smith Funeral Home.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, May 28 at 10 am at St. John the Evangelist Church in Mahopac, celebrated by her nephew, Rev. James A. Price, C.P.  Interment will follow at Ballard-Barrett Cemetery, Mahopac Falls, NY.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Jean may be made to Community Cares, P.O. Box 37, Mahopac Falls, NY  10542.

Because Covid is still a concern, we understand any hesitancy to pay final respects to Jean in person.  We know we are in your thoughts and prayers of which we are so greatly appreciative of.