Gertraud "Judy" Theresa Smith

She attended catholic boarding school in Altoetting, Germany and after graduating moved to Rome, Italy when she was 19. In Italy, she met her later husband while working for General Electric on the construction of Italy’s first nuclear power plant. She married Sheldon D. Smith in Italy in 1963 and they had three children, Susanna Maria Ferguson, Evelyn Marie Smith and Marc Sheldon Smith.

The family lived in Italy, Germany, New Jersey, Alabama, and Poland before moving to Raleigh, North Carolina in 1976 where Judy lived until her passing. In 1986 after the retirement of Sheldon Smith, Judy and Sheldon purchased Smith Seal of NC, and after Sheldon’s death in 1993, Judy took over the management of the company and developed the business to a dynamic, award winning small business. She told a famous story of getting calls after Sheldon’s death from people looking to buy the company cheap, and she answered “This is the grieving Widow, we are not selling!”. At Smith Seal Judy later developed a loving relationship with John Suszko and they became partners.

Judy was a compassionate, loving and strong woman, she spoke four languages and had the ideal of wanting her children to grow up to be citizens of the world, which has become reality since her children live in San Francisco, Germany and Austria. She loved to travel, had a passion for antiques and turned her house into a beautiful place for all the family to come together.

Judy is survived by her partner, John Suszko, her children, Susanna Ferguson, Evelyn-Marie Smith, and Marc Smith, her eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

There will be a memorial service at Saint Raphael’s Church 5801 Falls of Neuse Road in Raleigh on the 18th of May at 1:00 PM with a reception following at 3:00 PM at Saint Jacques restaurant, 6112 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh.

Donations in lieu of flowers or gifts may be sent to the University of Maine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04401 for the Sheldon & Judy Smith Scholarship. Judy will be buried at the Waldfriedhof in Munich, Germany in the near future.

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