Isabel Smith, 62 died peacefully on the afternoon of Saturday July 24, 2010 after a brave fight with cancer. She was born in Bogota, Colombia on March 24th, 1948, and arrived in the USA on February 24th 1973. She met her husband David Smith in September 1975 in New York City and they married one year later in 1976. Her daughter Vanessa was born in 1978 and her son Brendan in 1979. Isabel came to Midland with her family when Dow Chemical hired her husband in 1988.

Isabel regarded her primary role to be the family anchor as loving mother and wife. She also ran a successful restaurant business, The Gourmet Kitchen, from 1992 to 1994. Her family will remember, in particular, her special ability to elegantly embellish every family occasion to give us all joy and make us feel very special on our birthdays. Not just good food and balloons but also Mexican Mariachis for her Mother and Daughter’s birthdays!

Besides being well known by her customers and friends as a wonderful cook, she was also highly skilled in crotchet and knitting which were among her favorite pastimes. In summer she could often be seen tending to her flower garden at the house in Larkin Township. She enjoyed many concerts at the Midland Symphony and kept the radio tuned to classical music on public radio.

Isabel will be greatly missed by her husband David, daughter Vanessa, son Brendan, son-in-law Niels Riedemann and two grandchildren, Julien and Elena. In addition she is survived by her mother Rosa Vasquez, five loving sisters: Gloria and Patricia (who both provided exemplary care during her last weeks), Linda, Alicia and Rosalba, brother Alejandro and a large extended family.

~Visitation~
The visitation will be on Wednesday July 28th from 2 – 4 pm and 6 – 8 pm at the Ware-Smith-Woolever Funeral Home, 1200 West Wheeler Street. A Vigil for the deceased will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday evening at the funeral home.

~Funeral~
The Funeral Liturgy will be celebrated by Father Kevin Maksym at 11:00 am Thursday July 29th from the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, 3516 E Monroe at Jefferson. A musical tribute from her husband and friends will start at 10 am. The service will start at 11 am. The burial will take place at the Midland City Cemetery.

~Memorials~
For those planning a monetary tribute, please consider the Immune Recovery Foundation for Cancer and Immune Diseases; http://www.irfcid.org/about-us.htm, or a research center of your choice.