GIRARD - Carole Lea Smith, 70, departed from this life at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, at Northside Medical Center in Youngstown.
Carole was born on Aug. 10, 1942, in Connellsville, Pa., the daughter of William and Mary Briscar Ellsworth.
She married the love of her life, George James Smith, on April 3, 1963.
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She was born a coal miner's daughter in Connellsville, where she graduated from high school in 1960. She then went on to become a licensed cosmetologist. She later graduated from the Pittsburgh Art Institute with a bachelor's degree.
She was co-owner of Smith Paving. She also became a model and was cast in a movie with Caesar Romaro and Doris Roberts.
She became a Christian early on and loved to teach children about Jesus. She was the Sunday school teacher with her husband for several churches. She also did clown acts for the children and contributed a lot of time and tithes to vacation Bible school.
Her interests also included scuba diving. She became a certified open water scuba diver who traveled all over the Atlantic Ocean. She loved spending time with family and would cook extravagant meals for all holidays, including Romanian and Slovak holidays.
She loved to talk to anyone who would listen and would defend you with her dying breath.
She adopted two Vietnamese families and tutored them with the English language.
She leaves to cherish her loving memory, her husband, George James Smith; her five sons, George James Smith Jr. of Girard, Carl Anthony Smith of Howland, Christopher Darrel-Reed Smith of Girard, Greggory William Smith of Girard and Matthew Merril Smith of Girard; her siblings, sister Rita Walker of Omaha, Neb., brother Jerry Ellsworth of Mantua, sister Shirley Detwiler of Connellsville, Pa., and sister Billy Preston of Warner Robbins, Ga.; her grandchildren, Brandi Maria Erb, Amanda Elizabeth Smith, Tyler Michael Smith, Christopher Darrel-Reed Smith II, Christine Danielle Smith, and Ryan and Kristen Merrifield; her great-grandson J.J. Erb; and a great-granddaughter.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Niles Christian Assembly. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Joseph Rossi and Sons Funeral Home in Niles. Prayers will be at 9:15 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home and will begin the processional to the church.
Condolences may be emailed at www.josephrossifuneralhome.com.
(special notice)