Mara was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 4, 1962 to Joseph and Dolores Smith. She was preceded in death by her mother Dolores. She is survived by her father Joseph; her step-mother Judith; her children Jessica, Joel (Jessica), and Ashley; her grandchildren Sage, Isabella, Marina, and Jhonatan; her brothers Arthur (Renea), Mark, and David (Lisa); her sister Helen Lile (James); and her pet Shitzu Piper.
Mara worked as a housekeeper/companion/caregiver for an elderly couple for over 20 years until she was unable to work due to her illness. Earlier in her life she worked in retail, waitressing, and as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Physical Therapy Assistant at a Des Moines nursing facility. The loves of her life were her children and grandchildren, and she spent every moment she could with all of them.
Mara cherished special moments in her life, most recently the births of her grandchildren, the marriage of her son, and her daughter Ashley’s high school graduation this year.
Mara loved God, and was a lifelong member of the Roman Catholic Church. She enjoyed cooking, exercising, games, 70’s rock music (“Hotel California” was one of her favorites), fishing, reading horror/fantasy books, TV Westerns, many movies (though none more than Harry Potter) the Iowa State Fair and various thread crafts. She doted on Piper (her pet shitzu) and was constantly concerned about the needs of everyone around her.
A graveside service will be held at Glendale Cemetery on Tuesday, December 7, 2021 at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the family at https://www.gofundme.com/f/mara-smith-memorial.
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