Elizabeth Viola Smith

To Elizabeth Viola Smith, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Elizabeth, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Elizabeth really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

Elizabeth was born on June 12, 1924 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Bertha Tolsen. Elizabeth was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even as a child, Elizabeth had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

Always a good playmate, Elizabeth was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Elizabeth managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Elizabeth was raised with one sibling. She had one younger brother.

All of Elizabeth's playful good humor carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Elizabeth experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She took part in tennis.

Ask anyone who knew her from school and they would tell you that Elizabeth was a class “cut-up.” She didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Elizabeth simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of her friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Elizabeth, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Elizabeth's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Elizabeth graduated from Schenley High School in 1943. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was business.

Elizabeth reveled in her college years, where her imagination could run free. She was viewed by many of her classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Elizabeth was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. She was a jovial person who loved to share her passion for fun with others. But for Elizabeth, life was not a case of all play and no work. Elizabeth relished the task of putting her imagination to work in class. She was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. She earned her degree from Temple University.

The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Elizabeth very easy to approach. She tried hard not to impose on her spouse. She was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

Perhaps the reason Elizabeth related so well to children was the fact that she never really completely grew up herself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped her in raising her own children. Elizabeth was blessed with three children, three sons, Roderick, Ralph and Richard. They were also blessed with nine grandchildren, David, Bianca, Rio, Kristian, Arika, Alistair, Justin and Leyland. Elizabeth had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of her attention was directed. Elizabeth's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Elizabeth had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

At work, as in life, Elizabeth was a real “people person.” She had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. Elizabeth liked to see herself as something of a virtuoso. When dealing with various projects and problems, Elizabeth was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Elizabeth's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Elizabeth as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was teacher. She was employed for 25 years by LAUSD.

Elizabeth enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Elizabeth liked creating and making things. Her favorite pursuits were cooking and gardening. Elizabeth was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

Elizabeth felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Elizabeth loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Elizabeth relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Elizabeth never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Elizabeth played tennis. In her college years, Elizabeth continued to stay active by tennis. Elizabeth was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were gymnastics.

Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Elizabeth recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member St. Christopher Church for about 20 years.

Living life in the fast lane suited Elizabeth just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included London, England, Mexico and Europe.

Elizabeth was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Elizabeth's favorites was Orie, an Akita dog. They were best friends for 10 years.

Elizabeth believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1981, Elizabeth took it in stride as one more way to have fun. Her new life involved relocating to West Covina, California. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Elizabeth remained busy with people and projects. Even in retirement, Elizabeth continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

Elizabeth passed away on November 14, 2011 at Downey Kaiser Hospital. She is survived by her loving family. Services were held at Custer Christiansen Chapel.

Elizabeth brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Elizabeth Viola Smith lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.