Jean C. Smith

Jean Carol Grosser Smith, died on Dec. 15, 2015 at the University Hospital, Birmingham. Jean was born on July 31, 1924 to Walter and Erma Grosser. She graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in math. It was while in college that she met Wayne Smith, who asked her to marry him at Navy Pier in Chicago, right before he was drafted into the army. Jean finished her degree at ISU. She leaned on her Delta Zeta sorority sisters for support when learning that Wayne was a POW in Germany. She went home to Chicago to wait for him to be liberated, and worked as an actuary. When Wayne came home, they were married in 1946. Jean taught math at the University of Iowa while Wayne finished his degree there.

Jean was a wife and mother to their three children as Wayne worked in Morgantown, North Carolina; Des Moines, Iowa; Oshkosh, Wisconsin; and Birmingham, AL. She was a wonderful seamstress, making her children clothes and winter coats, plus drapes and bedspreads for their homes. Through the years, she was active in bridge clubs, bowling leagues, and church circles. She once took a class on paste craft and, what became fodder for many family jokes, totally covered the refrigerator in a paisley fabric. She worked for the Birmingham Crisis Center which meant going downtown at night to comfort people in trouble. She was an avid reader, even studying works by philosophers Kierkegaard and Bonhoeffer. She was a Weight Watchers leader for several years, as well as being a gracious hostess at church events, golf outings, and Wayne‘s business events. She played golf at Inverness Country Club and loved the social events there.

Jean was preceded in death by her parents and, Wayne, her husband of 67 years. She is survived by her sisters, Bonnie Rogers and Lois Rex, and their families. Also are her children Jill Huels (Paul), Indianapolis; Jeffrey Trawick-Smith PhD (Nancy), Connecticut; and Matthew Smith (Kim), Birmingham. She had 4 grandchildren: Matthew Huels (Nicki), Benjamin Trawick-Smith (Caitlyn); Meggie Dials (Josh), and Joseph Trawick-Smith (Erin), plus 2 great grandchildren, Wynne and Cormac Huels.

Jean will be buried at Southern Heritage cemetery where there will be a private family service.