Smith, Lorrie E.

Lorrie Eloise Smith passed away peaceably to the Lord at 63 years old on April 15, 2017 at 12:58 am at her home she shared with her husband, David, in Plano, Texas. She was born October 2, 1953 in Carrollton, Texas to Jesse and Pearl Donaldson. Lorrie grew up in Carrollton, Texas with her brother, Bill, and sister, Millicent. She loved flowers and worked in the floral industry for many years until a bad back surgery side-lined her with chronic pain. Lorrie was an ever-loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Lorrie’s love and care of other people was endless. She loved with all her heart – her children, grandchildren, husband, her family, her neighbors, pets – anyone who came through her front door. While her kids were growing up, Lorrie created a home where all of her children’s friends wanted hang out. They had minimal rules, plenty of snacks, and an unconditional love and acceptance that many of the kids didn’t get from the rest of the world. Her home was a safe haven for many neighborhood kids, especially during their teenage years. Her home was a warm place to stay, a hot meal to eat and ride to and from school every day. Many lost or hurting kids have called her Mom, and if she considered you one of hers, she would go to the ends of the earth for you. There was that certain something about her, something you can’t put in words. Everybody loved her, and she could make people feel comfortable with such. She was actually a shy person, but you would never know that talking to her. You would think the people at the bank, the mailman, or the checkout person at Gibson’s were part a part of her family. She just had a way of making every person she came across feel like her very good friend. Lorrie loved all animals, all animals! She never met an animal that she didn’t want adopt. If it had been up to her, her house would have been a zoo – and it actually was at one point! Her kids grew up with all kinds of pets…dogs, cats, birds, fish, rabbits, a ferret, and even a skunk named Emily. Her kids knew that if they brought home a stray animal, they would get to keep it. Her first husband, Tom, had a chimney sweep business at one point, and he would bring home baby birds from the chimneys and Lorrie would feed them round the clock, just like a momma bird, until they were old enough to fly. When Lorrie had a passion for something, she went all out. She never had much money, but the things she did to make her kids’ and grandkids’ lives special were things money could never buy. Her cocoa was made on the stove and took 30 minutes to make, but it was the best cocoa you’ve ever had. She would make the most beautiful floral arrangements, homecoming mums, and prom corsages. She would braid her daughter’s and granddaughter’s hair every morning before school, taking as long as it took to get it perfect. She wanted them to stand out from the sea of kids wearing uniforms at school. Halloween costumes were never bought at a store. She made them from hand and would be up all night the night before finishing them so they were perfect…and the costumes would always be the best on the block. Besides remembering any of the presents her children and grandchildren got on birthdays…what they most remember are the beautiful birthday cakes. She also made these herself and would spend the whole night to finish decorating them. She was amazingly creative and could make a Sesame Street Bert & Ernie or Winnie the Pooh birthday cake worthy of any award. Lorrie was also an avid music fan. While Fleetwood Mac had her heart, she was a fan of almost any rock n roll band from the 60s and 70s. She loved to go see live music, and brought her loved ones to as many concerts as possible. Music brought a kind of spiritual healing for her, especially after her operation left her in so much physical pain. Lorrie loved flowers! All her life! Her love for flowers and people made her the best flower delivery person in the world. She didn’t just design and deliver flowers to people, she literally brought a piece of herself to them, and she loved her job. Seven years ago, she took her first vacation to Cozumel, Mexico with her husband, David. She fell in love with the people, beautiful flowers everywhere and the ocean. The Cozumelenos say that in the tropical climate you can accidentally drop a seed on concrete and it will grow. David swears that her chronic pain seemed to go away when they were there and on the island. David and Lorrie went deep sea fishing every year and she loved it! She also always caught a bigger fish than David! They became good friends with the fishing boat captain, and his family would pick them up at the airport every year and they would go to his home. Lorrie loved bringing his wife and children little presents and they treated David and Lorrie like family. David and Lorrie had planned to retire there in two years and were planning on going this May to look for property to buy. As Lorrie got older, she suffered from more and more chronic pain and was not able to do all the things she used to do. While it took a toll on her body and spirit, her love never wavered. She still showed up on Easter with her famous deviled eggs, Christmas with pizzelles and gifts with hand painted wrapping paper, and was always there if you needed to talk. She was the one that would randomly post things on your Facebook about how awesome you are or just send an email to you saying how much she loved you. The pain she endured during the last part of her life did change her, but it didn’t change her love for her husband, kids, grandkids and dear friends. She still found her own ways to show you that unconditional Lorrie-Love. Her love was infectious and she instilled this in all of her children, grandchildren, and anyone she came across. One would learn a lesson in unconditional love, not from her words but from her actions. She would give her love every day in the most subtle ways. It wasn’t one thing she did that made her special, it was all the little things she did. She had a certain childlike innocence about her and made no apologies for who she was. If you were lucky enough to have her in your life at any point, you came away from that feeling like you were the most important person in the world. The greatest gift she ever gave was her love, and everyone who was lucky enough to know her was better for it. Lorrie had accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior many years ago and we are ensured by His Word that she is in a place much better than her paradise of Cozumel, she is no longer is dealing with chronic pain, and she is surrounded by God’s love and light. Lorrie’s beautiful life will forever be cherished in the lives of her husband, children, grandchildren and dear friends. She is preceded in death by her parents and by her sister, Millicent Donaldson. Lorrie is survived by her husband, David Smith, three children, Samara Brennan, Lucas Turano & Austin Turan, her grand-children, Cassie McKinney, Chloe Brennan, Conner Brennan, McKensie Brennan, Brenna Turano, extended family & dear friends.

“Things happen for a reason ~ just BELIEVE”

Celebration of Life

2:00 PM, Saturday, April 29, 2017

ARIA Memorial Chapel 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider making a donation in Lorrie’s name to the Hope’s Door Women’s Shelter in Plano, TX at 820 Ave. F, Ste. 100

Arrangements are under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700