Donna Sue Baker Smith (1944 - 2021) Salt Lake City, Utah, passed away June 8, 2021 of complications from kidney failure. She was born February 9, 1944 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Donna Virtue Sessions and Keith William Baker. They divorced when she was seven years old. She had one brother, Kent Whitney Baker. They were raised by their grandmother, Erma Wetzel Sessions Fisher for all but a couple of years growing-up. She attended Uintah Elementary School, Roosevelt Jr. High, and East High School. Sue continued her schooling in the education department at the University of Utah. She was involved in Lambda Delta Sigma, Sigma Chapter, the Church fraternity on campus and then started the Gamma Chapter. The Gamma Presidency won the Quartet Festival, as they all loved to sing.
In 1967 Sue moved to Provo, Utah to help her friend, Barbara Richards, who had been paralyzed in a car accident. When Sue moved to Provo, she transferred to Brigham Young University where she completed her schooling graduating cum laude in elementary education. As a devoted friend, she spent the next 23 years caring for Barbara, while continuing with her career as an elementary school teacher. She touched countless lives of young children as she taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders at Sego Lily Elementary, Sandburg Elementary, William Penn Elementary, Hunter Elementary, and Morningside Elementary in Holladay, where she retired from teaching after 30 years.
In 1988 Sue met the love of her life Stephen Petersen Smith, via his mother, LaVon Petersen Smith, and they married in the Salt Lake Temple on November 18, 1988. Stephen’s father, Carlos Smith II, had passed away the year before they met. She inherited 5 children when she married, four boys and one girl. She was later blessed with 15 grandchildren, who were her pride and joy.
Sue was very active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints volunteering in teaching and leadership positions. She had opportunities to serve in many callings including Spiritual Living, Gospel Doctrine, Relief Society President, Stake Primary President, Primary Music Director, Compassionate Service, Provident Living, and Ministering Angel. She loved to serve!
In 2010 Sue and Steve served a mission together in Cody, Wyoming at the Cody Murals Visitor Center. They enjoyed every minute of it, especially the people they served with and met. Following their mission to Cody they served two missions in the LDS Church Locator, and another mission in the Church Conference Center as tour guides.
Sue loved reading, counted cross-stitching, knitting yarn hats for the Humanitarian Center, swimming, tennis, golf, oil painting, sewing, writing poetry for family and friends, putting puzzles together, and doing all kinds of crafts with and for her grandchildren. She loved to travel with her husband and enjoyed places like Hawaii; Cayman Islands; Richfield, Utah; McCall, Idaho; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; and St. George, Utah.
In 2011 Sue contracted E. coli that went septic and took her kidneys. Eight years later she started dialysis, which resulted in many health problems she battled throughout the rest of her life.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Donna Virtue Sessions, and her father, Keith William Baker. She is survived by her husband, Stephen Petersen Smith, brother Kent Whitney Baker (Barbie), children Mark Stephen Smith (Kristine), Shane Oviatt Smith (Natalie), John Hyrum Smith (Tricia), David Earl Smith (Trisha), Stephanie, and 15 grandchildren.
