Carolyn Ann “Susie” Smith, 89, of Union City, passed away Sunday, February 19, 2023 at Calhoun County Medical Care Facility in Battle Creek.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 a.m. Monday, February 27, 2023, at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 8220 M-60, Union City, MI. Interment will follow at Burlington Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday, February 26, 2023 at Lighthouse Funeral & Cremation, 1276 Tate Trail, Union City, MI, with a time of sharing beginning at 7:00 p.m..
Susie was born November 18, 1933, in Battle Creek Michigan to Thomas “Leo” and Kathryn (Barnes) Donovan. She grew up in Banfield, where she rode horses and was in 4-H.
Susie attended St. Philip Catholic School through the ninth grade, then transferred to Union City High School (UCHS) after her family relocated to Union City in 1948. Susie graduated from UCHS in 1951, then worked full-time at Donovan’s Market, her parents’ grocery store, to save money to attend Aquinas College. Following college, Susie taught at Kellogg Consolidated Schools for two years.
June 20, 1959, she married former UCHS classmate Leon Smith at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Union City. Susie was hired by UCHS and taught business and English classes there for 38 years. She was a strong proponent of education and enjoyed matching wits with her students.
Susie was active in the UCHS Academic Boosters, founded the school’s Quiz Bowl program and coached its teams until she retired in 1998.
Outside of her teaching career, Susie was a 60-year-plus member of Our Lady of Fatima Church and participated in its Altar and Rosary Society. She belonged to the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel and the local Red Hat Society.
She enjoyed going to dances with her husband, shopping for Christmas gifts, reading books, visiting author-related historic sites, dining out, attending plays at Stratford, ON, and more local theatre venues, watching the Detroit Tigers with a cat on her lap, rooting for her favorite athletes – Justin Verlander and Tom Brady, taking Institute for Learning in Retirement classes at KCC, and volunteering in her grandchildren’s elementary school classrooms.
Susie was happiest when spending time with her family, especially reading to and cooking with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She is survived by her children, Kara Bercaw of Burlington, Kristy Smith of Burlington, Kerry Smith of Union City and Kimera Smith of Burlington; six grandchildren, Kaitlyn (Chad) Sexton of Coldwater, Chase (Essa) Bercaw of Union City, Kane (Kayla) Bercaw of Athens, Cailie (Wyatt) Williams of Union City and Connor Banks and Kate Banks of Burlington; 13 great-grandchildren, Brock, Jacob, Claire, Maggie, Jensen, Sawyer, Tucker, Landon, Carson, Adam, Tristen, Zoey and Eleanor; siblings, David Donovan of Cincinnati, OH and Kathleen (Bob) Collins of Union City; sister-in-law, Sharon Goble of Winchester, KY; and many nieces and nephews.
Susie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Leon Smith (1991); and sisters-in-law, Caroline Donovan and Gina Donovan.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, 8220 M-60, Union City, MI 49094, Aquinas College, 1700 Fulton St. E, Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1801, or the Burlington Township Library, PO BOX 39, Burlington, MI 49029.
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