Mavis Marie McDonald Smith, 85, The matriarch of a family of 4 daughters and their husbands, 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren, which she described as her greatest accomplishment and success, passed away peacefully in her sleep October 28, 2020.
Born in Fulda, Minnesota November 19,1934, she was the daughter of Harold and Lucille McDonald and sister to Sandra Weicherding (deceased) and Colleen Toye. She met and married L. Garry Smith, her husband of 59 years, in San Francisco in 1955 and returned to and remained in their beloved community of Tampa for the rest of their lives.
She was known and admired by her family for her ability to organize her household workforce, i.e., her 4 daughters; manage fiscal resources, i.e., stretching a penny until it screamed; and event planning, i.e., hostessing every holiday feast and political fundraiser that her husband volunteered her for. If she had been born 50 years later, she could have been a Fortune 500 CEO!
Her daughters Julie Myers (Barney), Cathy Brockmeier (Lanny), Lori Branham (Mike), and Sheri Bryan (Matt); grandchildren Kate Myers Hunt, Charlie Myers, Annie Myers, Scott Brockmeier, Caroline Brockmeier, Michael Branham, Sam Branham, Molly Bryan, and Matt Bryan; and great grandchildren James Hunt, Harrison Hunt, Cecelia Myers, and Henry Myers; her sister, Colleen Toye and her sister-in-law Clara Ann Harburg; will miss her dearly, but are so happy she is once again reunited with her dance partner and sweet husband for eternity.
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, a private family service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mavis’s memory may be given to Mary Help of Christians Center or the Hearing Loss Association of America - Tampa Chapter.
