Marilyn Smith

Kerrville Marilyn Shannon Smith left this life to embark on a new adventure on Sunday morning, October 4, 2009, after 83 years of joyous living.

Marilyn was born November 25, 1925, the only child of James Harold Shannon and Fern Alta Zimmerman Shannon, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received her bachelors degree in music from Hanover College in Indiana and her masters degree in mathematics from the University of Oklahoma.

She married her high school sweetheart, Raymond Leo Smith on December 20, 1945, upon his return from service with the US Army in the Pacific, and together they began a remarkable odyssey in education culminating in Rays Ph.D and Marilyns MS.

When Ray accepted a professorship at Laredo State University, Marilyn continued her long service as educator and administrator when she joined United ISD in Laredo, where she rose to cochair the districts mathematics department and founded the Gifted and Talented program. They retired to Kerrville in 1987.

From an early age, Marilyn surrounded herself with music, mastering the piano, organ, harp, dulcimer and hammered dulcimer. Her love for music took full flower soon after she arrived in Kerrville, where she immersed herself in the local singing scene by joining a senior chorus. It was here she discovered the joys of fourpart harmony acapella singing groups. She founded the Riverchords, a womens barbershop chorus and a men and womens chorus called Mixed Doubles. For more that a decade, the groups singing delighted and charmed audiences in the local area.

Marilyn was predeceased by her husband, Ray, in 2001, and her parents.

Those left to honor and cherish her memory include her three children, James Raymond Joan Smith of Sherman, TX, Robert Shannon Hannah Riddering Smith of Ingram and Shannon Sally Bill Bouldin of Kerrville her six grandchildren, Suzi Gregg Hamel, Kathy Chuck Manning, Jimmy Smith and Jim Susan Brown of Sherman, Chris Stacey Brown of Ft. Riley, KS and Matthew Smith of Colorado Springs, CO and her nine great grandchildren, Brad, Tim, Steven. Charlie, Whitney, Cassie, Scout, Tori and Maria, and happily awaiting the birth of Lilly in November.

In addition to her family, Marilyn was blessed with the friendship of Jo Stayton, Bill, Jean and Carrie Burns, D.A. and Irwin Grimes all of Kerrville, and many others too numerous to name. There was a special place in her heart for Star, her kitty whose unconditional love enabled Marilyn to cope with the loss of Ray.

Her family would like to thank Klaus Schroeder, MD, the staff and nurses at the Sid Peterson Hospice, especially Bev Nyitrai and Lydia Wells, for their kind and diligent attention.

A Celebration of Her life will be held at the UU Fellowship Hall, 213 Loma Vista at 2PM on Friday, October 9, 2009.

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