Mabel Gay (Harris) Smith

  Gay Smith was born on April 28, 1924 in Abingdon, VA and died on January 22, 2023 at the age of 98.  She attended King College and received a degree in education from Radford College.  She also did graduate work at Kent State University.  She taught 8 years in Virginia, beginning in a one-room school house.  Then she moved to Ohio where she taught in the Canfield and Youngstown School systems.  After she retired from Kirkmere School in 1987, she volunteered there as a tutor for many years.

She served on many committees for the Youngstown school system and worked with a number of student teachers from Youngstown State University. 

She was a member of Kappa Gamma, a Jennings Scholar, listed in the Outstanding Elementary Teachers of America, a member of the Mahoning Valley Antique Car Club, and a board member of Meals on Wheels.

She was a long-time member of John Knox Presbyterian Church where she was an elder, taught Sunday School, and helped to organize and teach in an after-school tutoring program in the neighborhood.

She is survived by her son, Mike (Debbie) Smith; her grandsons, Elliott (Kate) Smith and Bobby Smith; and her great-grandson, Emmet Burton Smith.

She was preceded in death by her parents, David and Mabel Harris, her husband, Burton Smith, her infant daughter, Kathy, her sisters Maxine Neel and Kathleen Hoover, and her brother Lewis Harris.

Visitation will be on Saturday, January 28th at 10 am at Vaschak-Kirila Funeral Home, 3100 Canfield Rd., Youngstown, OH 44511 with a funeral service following at 11 am. 

In lieu of flowers, Gay requests donations to Youngstown Meals on Wheels 1840 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44507.

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