Karol Kay Smith

Karol Kay Smith was born on July 11, 1939. She was 73 years old when she passed away from Mesothelioma on June 7th 2013, 24 days after her diagnosis. As she lived her life, she passed away fully embracing what was in store for her and kept her feisty sense of humor to the end. She was a resident of Spokane Valley.

Karol was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and moved to eastern Washington with her mother and brother in the mid 1950's. She married Richard Davis and had 3 children. They later divorced. She married young and did not have the opportunity to finish high school which was of great importance to her. She later obtained her GED and went on to graduate with a college degree in communications from EWU. She held a variety of jobs, mostly with the state of Washington. She started her employment as an adult with the Whitman county sheriff’s office as a jail matron. She went on to join the state payroll working at the DOL and eventually ending her career with the Washington state liquor control board.

Karol loved to travel and had many adventures after her retirement. She spent winters in Arizona which she loved. She adored the Oregon coast, visited Mexico, and Hawaii. She was an advocate of mental health issues with the community. She enjoyed the local casinos, Jeopardy, and loved her swimming classes. She did not learn to swim until she was an adult and she made every effort to swim when she could. She recently had joined a new church and was in a card playing circle of women along with a group of progressive dinners. She had just last year finished building a new home.

Karol is survived by three children and three grandchildren, Vicki (Mark) Barnes, Greg Davis, and Scott (Donna) Davis. Tyler Barnes, Kaitlin Barnes and Kieran Davis are her grandchildren.

A celebration of her life will be held on Wednesday, June 19th at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral home at 11 a.m.

In lieu of flowers please feel free to donate to Spokane NAMI or Spokane Hospice where she died peacefully.