Obituary of Barbara Welsh Griffin Smith

Mrs. Smith passed away Sunday, November 12, 2017 at home being cared for by her family and Health First Hospice. Barbara W. G. Smith was born on September 29, 1939 in Cambuslang, Scotland, the daughter of Sam and Catherine Fyfe. She grew up in a close-knit family, living in the same apartment building as her grandmother and aunts and uncles. However, she still had the courage to leave Scotland and immigrate by herself to Toronto, Canada in 1961 to work as a metallurgist at Canada Iron. That courage and love of family and travel continued for the rest of her life. Barbara met John A. Smith through friends in Toronto and she moved to Pittsburgh, PA where they married on July 6, 1963. They were married for 54 years and had two sons. One of Barbara’s proudest days was the day she became an American citizen. She loved America as someone that grew up in Britain during and after World War II and therefore knew the blessings that we enjoy in America. After moving to Pittsburgh and raising a family, Barbara made a career change and received her Associates Degree in Health Care from the Community College of Allegheny County. Moving to Melbourne in 1996, she worked as a Health Unit Coordinator for IHS in Palm Bay for more than 10 years and loved that she could make a positive impact on the lives of patients and their families. Barbara never completely retired. After she left her healthcare job she found her true calling as a sales person as a Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay. Mrs. Smith was a longtime member of the Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. She loved gardening and was an active member of the Pleasant Hills Garden Club, winning numerous awards for her plants and flower arrangements. She was very involved in community schools, serving as president of the Parent Teacher Association and other parents groups and running fundraising activities for numerous student organizations. Barbara was an avid bridge player, a voracious reader, a superb cook, and an excellent baker and cake decorator. However, her favorite activities were reading the Wall Street Journal, keeping track of family and friends on Facebook, listening to Glenn Beck, and watching Fox News. Barbara and Jack enjoyed going on cruises to the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America for family reunions and with the St. Augustine Cruise Club. Her favorite cruise was the cruise around Greece. She loved traveling to visit family in Canada and Scotland and enjoyed trips with family to Hawaii, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Iceland, and France. Both of Barbara’s sons went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY and served in the United States Army upon graduation. Barbara was proud that tradition of service continues with her granddaughter Rachel who received a Department of Defense SMART scholarship and will work with the Marine Corps after graduating from Florida State University in May. When Barbara was diagnosed with cancer she was joined by family and friends to help her on the journey through treatment. She was extremely grateful for the loving care that she received, particularly from the nurses and volunteers with Health First Hospice. She is survived by her husband Jack Smith of Melbourne; her sons Allan (James) of Orlando and Scott (Huisuk) of Augusta, GA; and her granddaughter Rachel of Tallahassee. A memorial service for Barbara W. G. Smith, 78, of Melbourne will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, December 2, 2017 at Ammen Family Funeral Home, 1001 S. Hickory Street, Melbourne, FL 32901. In lieu of flowers, please consider subscribing to the Wall Street Journal and making a donation to the Humane Society, or Conductive Education Center of Orlando.