Ruth Jean Smith

Ruth “Jean” Smith, 92, of Overland Park, KS peacefully passed away at St. Luke’s South Hospital on December 30, 2011. Visitation will be from 12:00-1:00 p.m. followed by funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 3, at Cherokee Christian Church, 75th and Belinder Ave. Burial in Mt. Moriah Cemetery South, 10507 Holmes Rd.

Jean was born to Dr. and Mrs. Jacob Hall on October 8, 1919. She lived in Overland Park, KS. She attended Gladstone elementary school. After graduation from Northeast High School she attended Milwaukee-Downer College for women in Milwaukee, WI, which is now Lawrence University and then graduated from the University of Missouri in Kansas City with a major in modern Languages. She was fluent in Spanish and French and worked for Folger’s Coffee Company in the overseas department handling foreign correspondence with South America. After working as a translator for the Folger’s Coffee Company she resigned to marry on May 9, 1942 and joined her husband, Berry McCormack Smith, who was serving in the Army during World War II. They were married for 57 years until the death of Berry in 1999.

She was a charter member of Cherokee Christian Church, a Life Member of the Kansas City St. Andrew’s Society and the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem.

She is survived by six children Storm Smith of DeSoto, KS, Mike and wife Connie Smith of Lee’s Summit, MO, Susan and husband Steve McNeill of Washington, D.C., Stephanie and husband Berwyn Sasek of Lenexa, KS, Kent and wife Bridget Smith of Carrollton, TX, and Scott Smith of Lenexa, KS. Also surviving eleven grandchildren Ian Smith, Darren and Meghan McNeill, Bryan and Brett Sasek, Lauren, Shannon, Danielle, Alexander, Jacob and Grace Smith and one great-grandchild Ava Sasek.