Hiroko E Smith

Hiroko E. Smith of Lafayette, Colorado peacefully passed on to Heaven on June 1, 2022. Hiroko was born on February 6, 1932 to Kyoshi and Shizuko (Shirai) Inumaru in Tobata-Shi, Fukuoka Ken, Kyushu, Japan. Her father, Kyoshi, passed away when Hiroko was eight years old. Shizuko had to move to another town to find work, so Hiroko and two of her four sisters, had to live with their grandma, Sei Shirai and their uncle, Kikujiro Shirai. Hiroko returned to live with her mother in Wakumatsu-ku in 1948. Hiroko met and married Charles Roper Smith in May 1950, while Charles was serving in the US Airforce, and stationed in Wakumatsu, Japan. Charles brought Hiroko, and their two month old son, back to Colorado when he completed his service in the Airforce.

Hiroko had six children, and was a stay at home mother until all of her children went to school. She worked at King Soopers, CU in Boulder, Ball Brothers, and Storage Tech. She had a busy life, until her retirement in 1995. She completed her life in Knoxville, TN, living with her son and daughter-in-law.

Hiroko was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters, her husband, two of her children, Charles J. Smith and Patricia A. Smith, and one grandson, Travis Howard Smith. Hiroko is survived by two sons, Andrew (Laura) Smith of TN and Gregory Smith, two daughters, Rita (David) Merck, and Christine (Martin) Murrey of CO. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.

Interment is at Mountain View Memorial Park in Boulder, CO.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cristmortuary.com for the Smith family.