Lillian Augusta Smith
Lillian Augusta Smith of Westport died Dec. 8, 2013. She was 86.
Born in 1927 to Elsa and John Paegle, both immigrants from Latvia, she spent her early years in The Bronx and forged many of her lifelong friendships there.
At age 6, she raised and lowered the curtain on her show business career, singing on Saturday mornings on the radio with the boys and girls of Rialto Studio.
At 25, she left her career at IBM to join Aramco and seek adventure in Saudi Arabia. There, she met her true love, Harry Smith, whom she married on Christmas Eve 1955.
Lillian and Harry had three children-Virginia, Gregory, and Timothy - and spent a glorious year and a half in Paris before settling in Westport in 1965.
She was predeceased by Harry, who died 16 years to the minute after they were married.
Lillian gamely carried on, raising her children, resuming her career at IBM and, after she retired, becoming certified as a home health care professional. She was dearly loved by her many patients, and she took care of many "old ladies" until she herself was nearly 80.
Although she had traveled the world, her heart belonged to Westport. She loved Compo Beach, the Red Barn and Winslow Park, where she spent many a happy afternoon with her beloved dogs, first her poodle Madeleine and then her dachshund Sunny.
She was predeceased by Madeleine and Sunny, her sister Sandra, her brother John, her husband Harry, and her son Greg. She is survived by her daughter Virginia Smith and partner Sandra Postel, her son Timothy Smith; her caregiver Maia Parulava; her neighbor, Donna Rose; nephews and nieces Johnny and Bryan Kranik, Johnny Barbero, Robert Steele, Diane Overton, Lisa Karlin, Karla Durkot and Erica Swab; and many friends.
A private interment will be held on Saturday, Dec. 14 followed by a celebration of Lillian's life at 11 a.m. at Greens Farms Congregational Church.
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring her memory with a contribution to either the William T. Bryant memorial fund at Greens Farms Congregational Church (71 Hillandale Road, Westport, CT 06880); the Pet Animal Welfare Society of Connecticut (504 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT 06851); or Care Partners Hospice (68 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803).