Born on August 3, 1924 on Charles Street in New Rochelle, New York. She was a loving daughter to Carmine and Viola LoConte, sister to Marie and Anthony LoConte. She attended St Gabrielle Elementary School and New Rochelle High School. Upon graduation Carmela joined the vanguard of independent women to enter the workforce, employed by typewriter firms such as Elliott, Underwood and Fisher, in New York City, where she was among the first to experience the electric typewriter. She served as Administrative Secretary and Administrative Assistant at New Rochelle High school for 30 years.
She married Thomas Augustine Smith on August 17, 1947; together they raised three children. She was devastated by her husband’s sudden death in 1963. As a single mother, she provided both emotional and financial support for her family. Passing along her lifelong love of sun, sea, and shore, she enjoyed time spent with family wherever their travels happened to take her, whether it be: long days at Jones Beach, vacations to the Pacific Northwest, Italy, the Poconos, Cape May, the Jersey Shore, Key West, Boca Raton, Tallahassee, Florida Panhandle, a mother-daughters’ Caribbean Cruise, Thursday Ladies’ Night dinners with her sister “Mig” in Larchmont, and late afternoon-early evening dinners with husband Tommy, the children, and Sam the family dog, on a pier at Hudson Park. She held the unusual distinction of accompanying each of her children on their honeymoons. She enjoyed the beach, reading, music, dancing, jokes, telling stories, being known along with her sister as #’s 3 & 4, and membership in a select group of lifelong friends known simply as the “T.C. Club”.
She provided love and caring assistance not only during the first months of life for each of her grandchildren, but for as long as her life enabled her to participate in their lives and those of her great grandchildren. She was known to answer to: ”Mel,” “Aunt Mil”, “Mom,” “Grandma,” “Grandma MeMe,” and “G.G.” throughout her life. She was also fondly known as Mrs. Sniff, Mrs. Fluffertouch and Polly Plumber.
Our time here has been forever changed. Freed from this earth, from the boundaries of this life, Carmela is everywhere: in the air we breathe, in our thoughts, our minds, our memories, and most of all, our hearts. She will be ever present in our lives. Carmela’s coach has taken a turn in the road, gone on to an existence that we cannot quite yet reach. Joining at long last, her beloved husband Tommy, her sister Marie, her brother Anthony, her parents Carmine and Viola, her much loved dog Laddie, longtime friend Fred Jarvis, and Jim Williams, special friend during her last few years. She is now in communion with all that is seen and unseen. As she was fond of saying, in terms of exactness, “A man on a galloping horse would never know the difference.” But we who remain behind shall know the difference in a life that we shall share without her wonderful presence.
She was lovingly cared for by her daughter Suzi and family for the past eight and a half years. The family would like to extend thanks to Clare Bridge, Cherry Laurel, and Byrnwood Rehabilitation of Tallahassee for their thoughtful loving care of Carmela, a wonderful, wonderful woman, the only mother we, her children, will ever know.
Survived by: her children, Stacey Scarmack (Michael, Lancaster, Oh), Steve Smith (Debbie, Olympia, WA) and Suzi Wattendorf (Bob, Tallahassee, FL). Left to celebrate her life and memory are eight grandchildren (Jerry (Melissa Cannon) Wattendorf , Heather (Kelly) Page, Andria (Matthew) Griggs, Cara Scarmack, Emma Scarmack, Luca Scarmack, Justin Smith, A.J. Smith) and six great grand children: (Lani Page, Luke Page, Taime Wattendorf, Alexandria McDaniel, Aria Griggs, Mia Griggs), nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews.
Viewing Hours: 2:00 - 4:00 P.M., 7:00 – 9:00 PM, Friday, April 5, 2013:
George T. Davis Funeral Home, 14 Lecount Place, New Rochelle, N.Y.10801
Burial Mass: 9:30 A.M, Saturday August 6, 2013.
Holy Name of Jesus Church
70 Petersville Road, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801
Internment to follow: Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, 66 Highland Avenue, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund in memory of Carmela Smith (http://curealzfund.org/donate/in-memory) are suggested/
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