Maria Smith

Maria Grabowska Smith was born in Ingolstadt Germany of Polish parents. Her father opposed Hitler and was arrested and sent to Matthausen concentration camp in Poland. He survived (he was visited by priests at the request of his Nazi brothers who saw to it that he had food) but suffered physical wounds that never healed. After the war he met and nursed a sick younger woman back to health; Sophia Gonerra (brought to Germany as slave labor) would become Maria’s mother. Unbeknownst to anyone she unfortunately was a carrier for the genetic disease: Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) an adult form of ALD that primarily affects the spinal cord, so is usually characterized by pain, weakness and stiffness in the legs, and unfortunately Maria then became a carrier. Her brother Stan would later succumb to it.

At ten her father died of lung cancer and she was sent to boarding school in England hosted by the Ockenden Venture…Haselmere (mostly for Polish childern – usually – orphans); she was close to her father (he was understandably angry at the Germans; refused to speak German in the home so she now spoke Polish and German) and she was miserable having been sent away; still she excelled in cross country and field hockey and learned English.

When she was old enough to leave she joined her sister Janina who had secured a job in Munich Germany working for the American European Exchange System (EES).

Before her divorce she was married to Clayton E. Smith II and they had five children. She is survived by her only living child Seabrook Emory Smith and four siblings all of whom live in Europe.

She was the owner of, and actively involved at Cmith Mfg., Co., makers of Emory cruiser bicycles.

Following her wishes services will be at the grave site, donations to the Leukodstrophy Foundation in lieu of flowers.