Melinda Anne Smith

Melinda Anne Smith passed away November 22, 2024 at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, at the age of 71. She was the beloved daughter of Sheldon Bruce Smith, Jr. and Mildred Smith of Baltimore, both deceased. She is the dear sister of Sheldon Smith and his wife Jackie Smith (Langhorne, Pennsylvania) and Valerie Smith and her husband Colin Wong (San Francisco, California). She loved her nieces and nephews dearly and was the adoring aunt to Zachary Myles Smith (m. to Buffy Smith), Colin Michael Smith (m. to Sarah Smith), Claire Louise Wong, and grand-niece Shiloh Rose Smith. Melinda is predeceased by her beloved dog and best furry friend, Alphonse.

Known to truly possess a heart of gold, Melinda was an active volunteer. Most notably, she was awarded Baltimore City’s Volunteer of the Year Award five years in a row for her innovative tutoring program in which college students at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland tutor inner city children at Baltimore City libraries. The program was eventually expanded to service students at 12 locations.

Melinda loved animals and enjoyed volunteering at the Maryland SPCA. She also loved spending time at Maryland’s beaches and visiting New Mexico and California. She was a voracious reader. A life-long Baltimore City resident, Melinda was known throughout her life for her public advocacy for the city’s feline population.

Melinda worked as a medical administrator and patient advocate at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington, D.C., for 25 years before her retirement. A 1971 graduate of Towson High School, she earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland in 1975 with a double major in Social Work and Psychology. She received her Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1985.

Special thanks to her best buddy since kindergarten, Sally Dawes, for being such a good friend.

Services will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Maryland SPCA, 3300 Falls Road, Baltimore, Maryland, (410) 235-8826, a cause Melinda felt strongly about.