Mary Ann Smithson

She was born in Addison, Mich., Jan. 13, 1938. Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Cleavy O’Connel Smithson and her parents, W. Fred and Florence E. (Sommers) Munk. She is survived by one brother, William H. Munk and one sister, Nancy L. Munk and several cousins.

Mary graduated from Addison High School and Michigan State University, with a Degree in Home Economics then furthered her education in dietetics. She spent a year interning at Massachusetts General in Boston then became a registered dietary consultant at William Beaumont Hospital in Detroit. She was a member of the American Dietetic Association.

Mary and Cleavy “Smitty” lived in Royal Oak and Ferndale. After retiring, they lived in Tarpon Springs and Holiday, Fla.

 The polio she had at age five started her debilitation later in life with inability to use her left arm and ability to walk on any rough or uneven surfaces. Three years ago she fell and became wheelchair ridden and moved back to Michigan living with her brother, Bill. She had wonderful assistants and friends, Annette Davis and Alma Gall. Other help came from the Department of Aging in Hillsdale.

 In her better years, she and Smitty enjoyed spending time at their cottage in West Branch. She even had a smaller sized Ski-doo that she rode on trails in the area. Mary was an avid reader and when both arms worked, she made beautiful quilts and pillows. She loved her “dog kids” over the years, Sandy, Coco and Kiki.

 Cremation has taken place. Memorial Services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, 2017, at the Brown-Van Hemert Funeral Home in Addison, with Pastor Fred Slagle officiating. Her final resting place will be next to Smitty at White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy, Mich. Send condolences to the family at: www.brownvanhemert.com.