Mary Ann Smith

Mary Ann Smith was born in Linz, Austria in 1946 to Hildegard Grübl and Charles Lewis; as a military family, they moved from Germany to the US in the 1950s. She passed away peacefully in hospice care on March 2nd of this year, at 79 years old, in Orangevale surrounded by her family after battling dementia for over 2 years following a stroke. She was a loving and devoted daughter, sister, aunt, and mother who raised her only son, Todd, with unwavering love and determination. Being his mother, a single mother at that, was always her proudest role, followed closely by her joy in becoming a grandmother in 2001, 2003, and 2006.

Mary Ann spent almost her entire life in the Monterey and Seaside areas, where she worked for Pacific Bell for more than 30 years before retiring in 1996. The close friends she made there became like family to her, providing friendship, love, and support that she always cherished and never took for granted.

After Todd’s marriage in 1998, the extended family she gained in Sacramento brought her added happiness and strength the past three decades. Her warmth, resilience, strong will, and caring spirit will live on through her family and in the many lives she touched.

She is survived by her son, Todd Allan Lewis; daughter-in-law, Angelica; and her three grandchildren Mikayla Ann, Justin Ortega, and Jessica Renee. She was preceded in death by her mother, Hilda Kowny; her sister, Linda Lewis White; and her stepdad, Stephen Kowny.

Her family will hold a Celebration of Life in Seaside on May 1, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Bayside Community Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the SPCA Monterey County in memory of Mary Ann Smith or call directly at (831) 753-5315 and ask for Danielle to give a gift in her memory…she loved and missed you all.

“A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.”