Shelly Vincent Smith

(Née Vincent) Shelly peacefully passed away at home on Wednesday July 29, 2015, at age 45, after a short and courageous fight with cancer. She was born August 1, 1969, in Bellevue, WA, the youngest of two children. Loving wife and best friend of Donald "Don" Smith. Proud and loving mother of 1 daughter, Fiona, and 1 son, Mitchell.

Survived by her mother Carole Vincent, brother Michael (Connie) Vincent, nephew James Vincent, niece Emma Vincent, several aunts, uncles, and cousins, parents-in-law John and Kathleen Smith, brothers-in-law Kevin Smith and Joel Repischak, sister-in-law Carolyn Smith, numerous family-in-law, and numerous friends.

Preceded in death by her father, James Vincent, and 1 miscarried son, Peter Smith.

Shelly lived the first nine years of her life in Bellevue, WA and Mercer Island, WA before the family moved to California. Shelly grew up in Cupertino, CA where she enjoyed swimming, playing soccer, picnics at the beach, singing in the Starfire church choir, and enjoying the San Francisco 49ers dynasty years. After graduating from Monta Vista High School in 1987, Shelly started college at San Diego State, transferred to the University of Colorado, and completed her BS in Journalism in 1992. From then on, Colorado was home for Shelly, living in Boulder, Denver, and Louisville (although she occasionally missed the ocean and the lush vegetation of the West Coast). After college, Shelly worked in various sales positions for several years until she became a full time Mom.

Shelly met Don at a Christmas party in 2002. They were married September 23, 2006. Shelly designed a fabulous wedding/reception at Snowmass Chapel in Snowmass Village, CO and Hotel Jerome in Aspen, CO. A fall snowstorm in the mountains combined with the golden aspen leaves made the event even more magical.

Shelly loved her children Fiona and Mitchell very much, and being the best Mom she could be became her ultimate passion. She gave each of them an excellent foundation for building the rest of their lives. She was very passionate about developing a strong family bond that would translate into lifelong friendships.

Shelly was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew people to her. She was sought after by people who recognized that she was generous with her time and energy, and these same friends found Shelly to be very stimulating company. Shelly's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around her. Shelly's openness, sense of humor, and generosity enabled her to easily connect with people and quickly develop many lasting friendships.

Recreational sports included water skiing, downhill skiing, rollerblading, and swimming. Shelly was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite teams whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football, especially the 49ers and the CU Buffs.

Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Shelly. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Shelly to expand her ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included Hawaii, Australia, Italy, and Mexico.

Shelly was a lover of animals and gardening. Her favorite pets were English bulldogs. She designed a gorgeous backyard featuring flowers of many types and colors.

Shelly was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around her could not. For Shelly, the traditional way of doing things fell short of her expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Shelly Smith, the fun of living her life could be found in the challenge.

Shelly’s family and friends loved her very much, she will always be with us in spirit, and we will hold her very close to our hearts forever.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (http://cholangiocarcinoma.org/) or to a fund for Shelly and Don’s young children (https://www.mylifeline.org/shellysmith/givingangels).