Helen Louise (Ludington) Smith was born on June 15th, 1930 in Chester, West Virginia, daughter of Vic and Katie Ludington. Helen’s hobbies in her early years were playing piano, and playing trumpet in her high school marching band. She also sang in The Triple Trio singing group, in which she was a soprano. Helen married her sweetheart, Dale Smith, at the tender age of seventeen and together they had 6 children. Helen was a prime driver behind Dale’s career and the family’s travels to Turkey and Canada. Helen went to work once the kids were in school full time and worked at The Brown Shoe company in Perth, Ontario for 10 years, retiring when Dale was transferred to Toronto. She and Dale retired to Clearwater, Florida in their early 60s and they lived there nearly 20 years, enjoying boating on the ocean. Helen and Dale were avid genealogists and travelled far and wide searching for family records and compiling many family books. They moved to Jacksonville 11 years ago, where Helen worked at Sears, retiring again at age 83. After a startling cancer diagnosis the end of June 2023, Helen’s last mission was a final trip to East Liverpool, Ohio to lay her husband’s ashes to rest and meet a few family and friends. All this, while enduring increasing pain from pancreatic cancer. Helen died August 6, 2023. Towards the end, Helen had most of her children by her side. Helen is pre-deceased by her parents (Victor and Katie Ludington), her sister (Sally) and brother (Victor), her loving husband Dale, son Dale Jr., and granddaughter, Erin. Helen leaves behind 5 children Kathy, Jackie (Bill), Cindy (Rob), Mike, Valorie (John), 13 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Rest in peace, Mama. I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re all ok. Everything’s going to be alright.
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