Betty D. Smith

September 19, 1927 ~ April 6, 2017

Betty Smith was born in Sioux City, Iowa on September 19, 1927. She attended local schools and graduated from East High School in 1945. In that year she entered the Cadet Nursing Corps, and received her registered nurse diploma from St. Vincent’s School of Nursing in 1948. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Briar Cliff College in Sioux City in 1950 and her Master of Arts in Education degree from the University of San Francisco in 1966.

During the early years of her nursing career she was employed as a staff nurse and a head nurse/supervisor at St. Vincent’s, at St. Francis Hospital, Honolulu, HI, and at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital, Oakland, CA. After three years as a nursing instructor at St. Vincent’s, Betty moved to California in 1957 and began teaching at Kaiser Foundation School of Nursing in Oakland. When the School of Nursing closed Betty remained with Kaiser and transferred to Nursing Administration in the role of Assistant Director of Nursing at Kaiser Foundation Hospital, Vallejo, CA. She retired in 1993 after thirty-three years with Kaiser.

Betty loved to travel. She kept her passport current and suitcase handy at all times. She was a regular in attendance at the San Francisco Opera and at the 42nd Street Moon Theater. She was a loyal Oakland A’s and Raiders fan. Betty was a parishioner at St. Joseph Church, Pinole, CA and was active in Altar Society, Young Ladies Institute and Home Bound Ministry.

Betty was preceded in death by her parents, Donald and Grace Luchsinger Smith and by her sister Mary Hunt. She is survived by her niece, Sandra Karas and her husband Mike; by her grand-niece Wendy Robeson and her husband David along with triplet great-grand nieces Ashley, Samantha, and Madeline Robeson; and her grandniece Lisa Keehner and great-grand niece Sydney Keehner.

At her request, Betty will be cremated and her remains interred in the Luchsinger plot at Calvary Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa. There will be a memorial service on Friday, May 19 at 11:00am at St. Joseph Church, 837 Tennent Ave., Pinole, CA. A reception will follow the service. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Association or St. Joseph School, Pinole, CA. Betty touched many lives and will be missed by her family and friends.