Smith, Mary E.

ALBANY- Mary Elizabeth (Roche) Smith, 86, died Monday, September 16, 2013 at St. Peter’s Hospital surrounded by her loving family. A native of Granville, NY, she was the daughter of the late Dennis and Mary (Tobin) Roche. She graduated from St. Peter’s Hospital School of Nursing and worked as a registered nurse at St. Peter’s Hospital for over forty years. An active member of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Albany, she was involved in many parish ministries and was a past officer in the Rosary Society. After the closure of St. Teresa’s she became a communicant of the Parish of Mater Christi. She was an associate member of the Sisters of Mercy and was also a member of the St. Peter’s Alumnae Association, the Albany Council of Catholic Nurses, and the St. Peter’s Retirees Association. She loved reading, sewing and cooking, and cherished her summer vacations at Silver Lake in the Adirondack Mountains with all of her children and grandchildren. Her deep faith in God and devotion to her family were the focus of her life.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of sixty-five years, E. Joseph Smith, and her beloved sons, Michael (Martha) Smith of Delmar, NY and Gary Smith of Erie, PA. She was “Gram” to eleven grandchildren: Abigail (Brendan), Kevin (Kylie), Owen (Julie), Michael Jr., Corey (Anna), Clinton, Leigh Anne (Matthew), Brian Jr., (Jillian), Sean (Tracy), Elizabeth and Patrick, and to twelve great-grandchildren: Clare, Ella, Braeden, Caroline, Maddox, Mary, Alexander, Cole, Patrick, Mason, Anderson and Wesley. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her dear son Brian Smith of Horsham, PA last January, and by her brothers Robert Roche (Anzio), Donald Roche and his wife Isabelle, and Clinton Roche and his wife Jane.

The family would like to extend sincere appreciation to the caring staff at St. Peter’s Hospital ICU.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, September 21, 2013 at 9:00 am in The Parish of Mater Christi, 40 Hopewell St., Albany. Relatives and friends are invited and may also call Friday, September 20, 2013 from 4-7 pm in the Daniel Keenan Funeral Home, 490 Delaware Ave. Albany. Interment will be in St. Agnes Cemetery, Menands.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of choice.