Mary Rose Smith

Mary Rose Smith, 87, of Erie, Michigan, passed away peacefully on September 17, 2022, in the company of her loving family. Mary was born in Toledo, Ohio on February 15, 1934, to her late parents Richard and Barbara Felber where she grew up alongside her brother. After falling in love, she went on to marry and have a son with Donald Riley before he fell very ill and passed away. While this was very hard on her, years later she met a man who would become her best friend and future husband, Thomas Smith, marrying him in 1959 and beginning what would be the first of over 60 years together. They had a son together as well and lovingly raised their two sons who will miss them dearly. He passed in 2021 but her love for him was unceasing.

Mary graduated from Whitney Vocational High School in Toledo before beginning her career as a secretary at Mason Elementary School in Erie, MI. She loved her job and loyally served as school secretary for 25 years until her retirement. Upon retiring, Mary had an enjoyable amount of spare time while Thomas was still working which resulted in her making of many new friends as well as prompted her to become a member of the Red Hat Society. She was a devout Catholic and was a parishioner at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Temperance where she attended with Thomas for many years. Her and Thomas valued their time together and always kept each other busy. They loved to boat and were members of the Riverview Yacht Club for roughly 4 years. They enjoyed frequenting polka dances, both in town as well as in Daytona, FL, and certainly had a love for Mackinac Island. In the fall, she and her husband were avid Michigan Football Fans and could be dependably located at The Big House every home game as they had season tickets. She was also a photo taker among many other things and loved to capture every moment.

Mary was an extremely proud grandma who absolutely loved her grandchildren. It brought her the most joy to spend time with them. She especially cherished her golf outings with her grandson, Eric, and the memories that she was able to make with him. She was known by all who knew her as the nicest, most kind woman and was constantly making friends wherever she went. She never let a birthday or an important occasion go by without notifying the correct person before they could forget. The simple visits and time spent hanging out with her will be missed the most by her family members. She was truly a loved individual and will be missed by so many.

Mary is survived by her sons, Steve (Becky) Riley, Terry Smith; grandchildren, Brandon Riley, Eric Riley, Kimberly (Josh) Inniger; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Donald Riley, Thomas Smith; brother, John Felber.

All are welcome to the visitation that will take place on Friday, September 23, 2022, from 3-7 p.m. at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W Sylvania Ave., Toledo, OH. A funeral Mass will take place on Saturday, September 24, 2022, at 10 a.m. at Saint Anthony Catholic Parish with a 9am to 10 am visitation period, 4605 St Anthony Rd, Temperance, MI, 48182. A funeral procession to Toledo Memorial Park will follow. Condolences may be sent to the family at walkerfuneralhomes.com, or a monetary donation may be made out to Ohio Living Hospice or the Alzheimer’s Association in Mary’s honor.