Joan Elizabeth Smith, 71, passed away on March 31, 2019 in Ahwatukee, (Phoenix) Arizona. She was surrounded by her family as she transitioned into spirit. She joins her youngest son, Richard Milton Smith III, her mother and father, and other family members who have gone before.
She is survived by her husband Richard Milton Smith II, daughter-Kristen Krull (Don), eldest son - William Brough, grandsons Christopher and Rawley, sister-Carol Verbeeck (Bruce Hortter) and aunt-Elizabeth Rudh.
Joan was born December 23, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York to Rudolph and Florence Verbeeck. The family moved to the west coast in the 1960s. She was united in marriage to Richard M. Smith II and resided in Phoenix enjoying the heat and visiting the mountains and the beach to refresh. She graduated with a BS in Nursing from Arizona State University and went on to complete her MBA.
She had a long and distinguished career in healthcare, beginning as a staff nurse and later Assistant Director of Orthopedics and then Director of Outpatient Rehabilitation at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona. She was later appointed as Operations Administrator for the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) Well Woman Health check, serving low income, uninsured, and underinsured women in the state of Arizona with breast and cervical cancer screening services.
Many nights she could be found tapping away on her computer searching for family history details – she loved genealogy and discovering the stories of our family lineage. She gardened and was the Vice President of the Desert Point Garden Club. She helped lead a local Cub Scout pack, enjoyed managing home improvement projects and bird-watching.
Joan fought an heroic and courageous battle against Pancreatic Cancer showing unbelievable tenacity. She defied the odds throughout her illness, and lived an additional 21 months from her original diagnosis. She inspired everyone around her with her strength and bravery. Her final wish was to be laid to rest next to her son, Richard, at Valley of the Sun Cemetery in Chandler, Arizona, with a small graveside service. She will be interred June 1, 2019.
While we say goodbye to the matriarch of our family, her legacy lives on through the many people she helped and inspired to be strong and to be optimistic problem solvers through life’s many challenges.
Pancreatic Cancer is the third leading cause of cancer related deaths in the United States and is expected to rise to the second leading cause of cancer deaths by the year 2020. It has an overall survival rate of 7 percent.
To join in the fight against pancreatic cancer, donations can be made in Joan’s name to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at https://www.pancan.org/.
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