With John Ngo in Cambridge, MA, September 2015.

Heidi and Geoff visited their niece, Sarah, while she lived in Beijing, China. They all had a wonderful time in Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou, and Xia He.

Heidi and Geoff visited their niece, Sarah, while she lived in Beijing, China. Her dad was also on the trip. They all had a wonderful time in Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou, and Xia He.

Heidi was endlessly kind, and always showed genuine interest in our families. I’m so sorry that she has passed away. I admire her strength, especially these past few years. My deepest condolences to the whole family, especially her two lovely daughters Dana and Nicole, who she was so proud of. Love, Janis💜

Dear sweet Heidi ,a beautiful human being, someone I looked up to as a young woman.
I am blessed to have shared the most amazing memories raising our babies together. All of our silly/fun days at the Beach and Tennis Club, Lj Country Club  with all the kids /family.  We were one big clan everywhere we went:) I will forever cherish her love as an Aunt to my children Ryan and Kailey and our dear frienship through the years 🫶They too will forever love and cherish her memory! I will always know 
Heidi as carrying  herself with amazing grace.  She was one of the most devoted mothers I have ever known and it shows in her beautiful daughters Dana and Nicole ! She will be missed on this earth , but forever in the hearts of all she touched !
Rest in peace sweet  Heidi 🙏 💖

In April 2019, Geoffrey and Heidi met with their nephew Dan and sister Meredith at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club for a glass of wine and great conversation overlooking the beach. Dan was in San Diego to give an academic talk at UCSD. John and Dan fondly remember sharing nice wines with Heidi when they lived in San Diego in earlier years.

In September 2016, Geoffrey and Heidi came to visit their nephew Dan and his partner John in Cambridge, MA. John was working as a professor of biomedical engineering at Boston University, and Dan was a professor of government (political science) at Harvard University. We had a beautiful day of weather as Dan toured them around Harvard Square.

Aunt Heidi was the most beautiful soul. She lit up the room with her laugh and smile, and was always checking on everyone and making sure others were good even in her toughest moments. Her strength and courage shone brightly in her battle with cancer; and she was definitely a Wonder Woman. She loved her family so much and loved to see the world with the love of her life, Geoff. Moments with her daughters Nicole and Dana were what she lived for, and of course her sweet Graham. Ryden and I cherished every moment with her. She and Geoff would send Ry crystals and FaceTime to learn about them. In the last years I have been so blessed with many long talks with my Auntie about life and heartwarming laughs. I’ll never forget her perfectly wrapped Christmas presents, confetti in cards, and gorgeous smile. I love you so much Auntie…you are now our Royal Angel!

The family of Heidi Haerr Smith has entrusted El Camino Mortuary – Sorrento Valley to attend to the funeral services of their loved one. A beautiful soul has been called to rest in the eternal garden under the care of their higher power. While many will feel a sense of emptiness and loss, others will find comfort in knowing they are in a better place. May Heidi’s spirit continue to be present in every day of your existence and in every memory you express. They say that one is forgotten or dies when you allow the memories to fade or go unspoken. Allow yourself time to grieve, as this is part of the healing process, but never forget that it lies within oneself to live and continue the legacy. May Heidi’s soul rest in peace and continue to watch over you and grant you strength.
-	J. Francisco Pinedo – Funeral Arranger –

We were the “Girl Scout Mom’s Book Club,” an extension of our times together since our daughters were at Bird Rock Elementary.  We got together several times a year to catch up and share our stories.   Heidi was always so sunny,  positive, happy and ready with her great sense of humor.  She was a blessing and a joy to call “friend” for 35 years.

My favorite memory was dancing with Grandma at Nicole's wedding. I have a picture of it. We had so much fun together!

Another favorite memory is watching Grandma play dolls with the girls. She had these dear little voices she would use for each doll and was so good at making up situations that the dolls would get through together. She would say, "hmmm, now what should we do about that? Hmmmm well I'm not sure," And then the girls would have to decide what their dolls should do. Both of my daughters would be captivated and they were always so excited to get Grandma over to play dolls with them. She also played "school" but she would be the student and Isla would be the teacher. She gave them her full attention, and it was such a gift for the girls.

My favorite memory with Heidi is sailing with her at the Catamaran. She grew up sailing in Mission Bay and it was nostalgic for her to sail with the kids and me, and it turns out she's a really good sailor! It was fun to see her in her element.

I have so many wonderful memories with Heidi. Maybe my favorite memory is from 15 or more years ago. She was always going to these Zumba classes and I had never been. But she made them sound so good! I thought maybe I was missing out, so I signed up for some online Zumba thing that we could do on our old TV with these remote controls. I waited until she and my dad were up visiting us, and then I tried it for the first time with her. It was like a Zumba video game, and she was so good at all the moves, but I had no idea what I was doing. But it was so much fun and ended up being a great workout. We just laughed and laughed the whole way through it. 

She was also a very thoughtful gift-giver. Every birthday and holiday she would get me a new something-or-other for my kitchen, because she knew I loved to cook and bake. And so basically everything in my kitchen is from my stepmom. I think of her every time I bake and I can feel her with me in that way. I'm so grateful for my memories with her.

My favorite memory with Grandma is playing on the monkey tree at the Catamaran and she would watch us. And one time she took me shopping at state street and we had lunch together.

Jupiter's favorite memories with Grandma are going on walks with her. Those walks were special times for just the two of them, walking in the neighborhood and along the creek, and sometimes Jupiter would take his bike so they could go faster. Grandma had a way to make even a simple thing like a walk feel like an exciting adventure, and he treasured that one-on-one time.

OBITUARY

Heidi Haerr Smith

10 November, 1958 – 25 October, 2025

El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Valley & Memorial Park

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services