Jean E Smith

Jean Smith, 86, a volunteer for cultural and civic groups who brought flair to charitable benefits she organized, died Friday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio, South Detroit Avenue. She had been in declining health, her sons said.Mrs. Smith of Perrysburg Township - and a longtime Maumee resident - was president of the Toledo Opera Guild in 1998-99 and from 2004-06. She was a chairman of the Sapphire Ball several times and, for a special fund-raiser show, brought in designer Carolina Herrera - the most successful and the most fascinating style show the Opera Guild ever had, said Shirley Joseph, an Opera Guild board member and former president. Mrs. Smith also was a longtime member of the Toledo Symphony League, produced several fashion shows, and was at the helm of several benefits. She did so much to further the cause of music in Toledo, Mrs. Joseph said. She had multiple talents. Any job she took on at any event was a real success. Her own apparel - a smart hat, eye-catching earrings - attracted notice. She had the right shoes, the right accessories. She was always well put together from head to toe and had that distinctive Jean Smith look, Mrs. Joseph recalled. Her son Rick said she was devoted to the Toledo Animal Shelter and its no-kill policy; shed been a president of its auxiliary. She was appointed to the citys forestry commission in 2003 by Mayor Jack Ford. Born May 6, 1928, in London, Ont., to Myrtle and Russell Canning, she was 4 when the family moved to Maumee. She graduated from Maumee High and received a bachelors degree from Bowling Green State University, then taught at a Toledo elementary school for a year. Her interest in fashion led to work as a model at Himelhochs, a high-end womens clothing store in Detroit. She was a stay-at-home mother when her sons were young. She later was a member and president of the St. Lukes Hospital Auxiliary. I know my mother did a lot. Our house was always the center, son Regan said. The kids always felt comfortable coming over. She was a member of the Toledo Club, Toledo Yacht Club, and First Presbyterian Church, Maumee. She and Richard E. Smith married June 22, 1954. Mr. Smith, an accountant and an owner of Trans-World Shipping Service, died Feb. 15, 1998.Surviving are her sons, Dr. Richard R. and Regan C. Smith; four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. At her request, there is no visitation, and services will be private. Arrangements are by the Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home, Maumee. The family suggests tributes to the Toledo Animal Shelter.