Ruth A Smets

Ruth Amparo Smets, age 87, passed away peacefully at her home on February 22, 2026. A most beloved figure in her family and by so many who knew her, she was a resident of Pembroke Pines for over 50 years.

Early Life and Education

Ruth was born on November 30, 1938, in Quito, Ecuador, to Gustavo and Maria Villavicencio. She attended Unidad Educativa Santa Maria Eufrasia, a well-known Catholic school in her hometown of Quito.

Marriage and Career

In Miami, Florida, on March 17, 1956, Ruth married Julien Smets of Antwerp, Belgium. Her professional journey began as a teenager in the Miami Fashion District, where she mastered the art of dress design and worked as a skilled material cutter. Though she paused her career to raise her children, she returned to her craft with an entrepreneurial spirit once her youngest child reached pre-school. What began as a personal tailoring service grew into "Alterations by Ruth and Dry Cleaning," a thriving, upscale business. Ruth’s talent for alterations was the heart of the operation, which eventually employed many seamstresses and served thousands of customers. Her husband, Julien, later joined her to manage the dry-cleaning operations, allowing her to focus on her exceptional creative talent.

Family and Legacy

Ruth was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Julien; her daughter, Tanya Smets; her parents, Maria and Gustavo; her brother, Marco Villavicencio; her sister, Carmen Zempleni; and her cousin Pablo Villavicencio.

She is survived by her son, Michael (wife Michelle Cobaugh-Smets); her son, Raymond (partner Jordan Suffin); and her grandchildren, Raymond (wife Ardith Smets), Alexandra, and Nicholas. She also leaves behind her eldest sister, Guadelupe Loza (daughters Debbie and Ginny and their families); her youngest brother, Gus Villavicencio (wife Carol); her nephew, George (wife Janelle); her nieces, Margaret and Jane Zempleni; and her cousin’s wife Magdalena Villavicencio with her two daughters Leslye Villavicencio and Maria Linter (with her children).

Services

A Celebration of Life Gathering will be held on Friday, March 6, at 10:00 AM, followed by a graveside service at 12:30 PM. Services will take place at Hunter's Funeral Home on Taft Street in Hollywood.

The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Beatrice Toussaint, Monique Bryant, and Tiffani Stanfil for the professional and loving care they provided Ruth as her caretakers during the final year and a half of her life.