Roberta Smith

Mrs. Roberta Smith passed away on Thursday, September 5, 2019 in her home in Tucson, Arizona. Her family was by her side when she died. She was 90 years old.

Born on November 30, 1928 in Lapeer, Michigan, Mrs. Roberta Smith was the beloved daughter of James Edward Roy Smith, MD and Margaret Grant Smith. Her father, a native of Canada, was as a doctor in the United States Army with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during World War II and served in Guam. Her mother, a native of Ireland, was a homemaker. Ms. Smith was pre-deceased by her only sister, Margaret Rich.

Mrs. Smith grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and enjoyed riding horses as a young girl. She met Francisco Palau, a young Mexican lawyer, while on vacation in Mexico and married him on December 20, 1955. Despite not speaking Spanish, Mrs. Smith moved to Mexicali, Mexico to start a family. She raised a family of seven children in Mexicali and lived in Mexico until the mid-1970's when she and Mr. Palau were divorced. Mrs. Smith returned to live full time in Southern California and later on in Arizona.

While raising her children, her interests included family, sewing, gardening and reading. She devoted the majority of her time and energy to caring for her children and family.

Mrs. Smith thereafter married Pasadena lawyer John Whatley in 1986. They were married until Mr. Whatley passed away in 2006.

Mrs. Smith is survived by her children, Teresa, Margarita, Patricia, Carlos, Diana, Roberta, and Francisco; her twenty-two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; and her niece Sallie Rich Jocoy.

Memorial services were conducted in Tucson, AZ. Additional Memorial Services will be held at St. Bede the Venerable Church in La Canada Flintridge, CA on October 12, 2019.

Mrs. Smith was cremated in Tucson, Arizona on September 10, 2019 in accordance with her wishes.