End of Life Expenses for Carolyn Ann Smith

On November 22, 2023, Carolyn Ann Smith passed away, and is cherished in memory by her three beloved children, Tiona, Kinshasa and Erin (J'Kia). Carolyn’s in-home medical care and end-of-life care have been entirely financially supported by her children, who are now asking for support from friends, family and community members to lay her to rest. All funds raised will be utilized for Carolyn’s funeral services, burial and celebration of life.

Carolyn was born on October 9, 1950 in Murphysboro, Illinois, and was the eldest of nine children. She grew up in San Francisco, California, and was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. She went on to earn an Associates of Science degree in Interior Design, from San Jose City College. In 1965, Carolyn met the man who would eventually become her husband, Aaron Smith, in San Francisco, and they married on Valentine’s Day in 1970. They remained married until he passed away in 2017.

Carolyn had an eclectic career, from working at technology giants like Adobe, Google and IBM, to starting an interior design business to working at the new Levi Stadium. She loved travel, musical theater, painting, drawing, writing poetry, dancing and was a huge Star Wars fan. She had a beautiful singing voice, and sang with her church (Jubilee Christian Center/Redemption) choir for decades.

Anyone who knew Carolyn would share that she was bubbly, kind, and fun–a true joy to be around, who touched countless lives with her kind spirit. Her children describe her as the best mom ever. She always encouraged her children to be their best, and always supported their many endeavors. She called them her “hug-a-bunch” and would always say “love you bunches”.

In this time of need, Carolyn’s hug-a-bunch is now humbly asking you to help them in laying their mother to rest. Over the past three years, they have shouldered significant expenses related to Carolyn’s 24-hour, in-home Alzheimer’s care, and have found their resources depleted. They are deeply grateful to those of you who have already contributed, and have raised about 15% of what is needed as of 12/3/2023. Each and every contribution means the world to Carolyn’s family, and they are tremendously grateful for your support during this difficult time.