Anita G. Smith

Anita (Gido) Smith, 82, formerly of Haddam and more recently of Middletown and Cromwell, wife of the late William N. Smith, passed away on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown. Born in Derby, Anita was the daughter of the late George and Louise (Healey) Gido. She was a graduate of Ansonia High School and The Hospital of St. Raphael School of Nursing. After raising her children, Anita worked for a number of years as a substitute school nurse in the Haddam school district. Anita was known for her kindness, her love for children, and her willingness to lend a helping hand. She treasured the small things in life—flowers in bloom, her many pets over the years, a summer thunderstorm, a festive meal, the sports page, the salt air at the beach. She had a great appreciation for art, music, and theater, and delighted in an afternoon at a museum or a show at the Goodspeed. Her travels included a vacation in Paris, a cross-country road trip with her husband, and countless visits to destinations along the New England coastline. She was devoted to her church, St. Peter Catholic Church in Higganum. She was a longtime member of the Parish Council and the Ladies’ Guild and served as a eucharistic minister and catechism teacher. Other organizations to which she devoted her time over the years included Birthright of Greater Westbrook, the Haddam Democratic Town Committee, and the Junior Women’s Club of Middletown. She is survived by her children, Leslie Casey and her husband, James, of Sullivan, N.H.; Geri Smith of Orlando, Fla.; Mark Smith and his wife, Carmen, of Barkhamsted; Dawn Barlow and her husband, W. Phillips, of Moodus; and Mary Kay Gronemeyer and her husband, Jacob, of Hopkinton, Mass. She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren Nathan Smith and his wife, Amy Varallo; Kyle Smith; Calli Smith; Wilson and G. Thomas Barlow; and Evan, Nora, Emily, and Ava Gronemeyer. She is predeceased by her granddaughter, Tessa Gronemeyer. Funeral services will be held Tuesday July 27, 2021, at 11 a.m. at St. Peter Church, 30 Saint Peter’s Lane, Higganum. Friends may visit with the family at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown on Tuesday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to the service. Following the service, burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery, 325 Bow Lane, Middletown. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may send memorial contributions to the Middlesex United Way—Education, in support of children’s literacy: https://www. middlesexunitedway.org/ education. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www. biegafuneralhome.com.