Edith C. Smith

July 23, 1941 – January 14, 2026

Edith C. Smith (nee Hunt), age 84, passed away on January 14, 2026, in Macedonia, Ohio. Born in Montague, Michigan, Edie was a woman of creativity, faith, and joyful spirit. A gifted artist, devoted educator, passionate reader, and sometimes rascal, she loved her family and community, and that love shaped everything she did. More than anything, she was a connector, the kind of person who drew people together, kept relationships alive across miles and years, made everyone feel they belonged, and could always be counted on to stir up just the right amount of good trouble. Whether guiding a child through an art project, piecing together an art quilt with patient precision, organizing a family gathering, or winning a round of mahjong, Edie lived a life stitched together with purpose, laughter, and love.

Faith was the steady thread woven through every chapter of her life. She was a founding member of Grace Chapel in Clifton Park, NY, a role that speaks to her deep commitment not just to attending church, but to nurturing community, and helping others find a place to belong. Throughout her life, she was also a member of Montague Methodist Church in Montague, MI, where her roots ran deep, and First Congregational Church in Hudson, OH. In each of these communities, she was not merely a member but a dependable volunteer and supporter.

For more than 30 years, Edie dedicated herself to teaching, with her longest tenure at Menands School in NY, where she taught science, art, and computers. She had a rare and remarkable gift, the ability to nurture a child's imagination in the art room, spark a love of discovery in the science classroom, and open young minds to the world of technology. Her passion and talent made her not just a teacher but a guiding, no-nonsense presence in the lives of countless young people. To her students, she was patient, encouraging, and unforgettable.

That same patience and creativity flowed naturally into her life outside the classroom. Edie was a gifted fabric artist who excelled in quilting, sewing, piecing, knitting, and crafting in all its forms. Her hands had a way of transforming simple materials into works of beauty and meaning, a quilt that would warm a child, a hand-stitched piece that would become a family heirloom, a craft lovingly made for someone simply because she was thinking of them. She delighted in the making, but perhaps even more in the teaching, sharing her skills with others with the same unhurried patience and gentle encouragement that defined her decades in the classroom. When she wasn't creating with her hands, she was reading a good book, playing games, or watching movies.

Edie also had a playful, social side that those who loved her knew well. She was an enthusiastic mahjong player, enjoying regular online games with her best friend Sally, and lively in-person gatherings with her neighborhood group at the Villas of Taramina. The mahjong table was never just about the tiles. It was about laughter, friendly rivalry, good-natured mischief, and the pure fun of good company, all things Edie cherished deeply.

But perhaps Edie's most extraordinary quality was her role as the connector of her family, her neighborhood, her church communities, and her circle of friends. She was the one who remembered everyone, reached out, brought people together, and made sure no one drifted too far. She was always up for an adventure, whether that meant a trip, time with her beloved sisters, Sharon and Cindy, or a lively family gathering with the Hunts, Smiths, and Gillans. She made every get-together feel like a celebration, and her gift for gathering people, truly bringing them together around a shared table, a shared laugh, or a shared moment, was one of the most beautiful things about her. Where Edie was, there was community, and almost certainly a good story being told.

She doted on her family with her whole heart, and her grandchildren, Ciara, Evan, Will, and Bennett, were among her greatest joys. She poured herself into time with them, taking them on adventures, to the movies, teaching them new skills, sharing her love of art and making, and sitting down to play games with the same delight, competitiveness, and mischievous glee she brought to everything else. To her grandchildren, she was not just a grandmother but a teacher, a playmate, a co-conspirator in fun, and a treasured presence whose lessons and love they will carry always.

At the heart of her personal life was her lifelong marriage to Richard Smith, her beloved husband of 64 years. Theirs was a partnership built on love, shared laughter, and a deep commitment to the family they created together. She was a proud and devoted mother to Douglas Smith (Maureen Zail) and Tracy Keenan (Daniel), and a cherished sister to Sharon Schiller, Cindy Francis (David), and Bob Near (Doreen). She carried a tender place in her heart for her late parents, Walter and Esther Hunt, and brothers, Richard Hunt (Jean) and Pete Hunt, and was a loving aunt to her many nieces and nephews. Those bonds of family, whether near or departed, were everything to her.

To know Edie was to know generosity in its truest form. She gave of herself freely, her faith, her time, her talent, her creativity, her care, and her infectious sense of fun, to everyone who was fortunate enough to be in her life. She had a gift for making others feel seen, valued, capable of more than they imagined, and always welcome at her table. The world is quieter without her, but the quilts remain, and the love and laughter she so carefully stitched into every life she touched will endure.

Edie's roots in Montague ran deep, and her connection to her home community never faded. It is a fitting tribute that memorial donations in her name support the Edith C. and Richard L. Smith Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Muskegon County, a legacy that reflects the generous, spirited woman she was throughout her beautiful life.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Montague Methodist Church on July 23, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., where family and friends can gather to share memories in honor of a life artfully and lovingly lived.

Memorial donations may be made in her honor to the Edie C. and Richard L. Smith Family Fund, Community Foundation for Muskegon County, 425 W. Western Ave., Suite 2000, Muskegon, MI 49440, or online at https://cffmc.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=9811 .

Edie C. and Richard L. Smith Family Fund, Community Foundation for Muskegon County
425 W. Western Ave., Suite 2000, Muskegon MI 49440
Web: https://cffmc.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=9811