Carolyn A. Smith

Carolyn Ann (Williams) Smith passed away peacefully on April 11, 2020, at the age of 83. Carolyn was born in Dallas, TX on August 11, 1936, to William L. C. (Bill) and Nell Cochran Williams. As a young child, she lived in Virginia and California, relocating when her father was transferred as a Lt. Colonel in the U. S. Army during WWII.After moving to Oklahoma City, Carolyn attended Classen High School, graduating in 1954. She earned a B.A. in English from the University of Oklahoma in 1958. While at OU, she was initiated into the Delta Gamma sorority and was elected into Phi Beta Kappa. Carolyn married her high school sweetheart, Robert M. (Bob) Smith, on June 6, 1959. She worked as a medical receptionist while Bob completed medical school and subsequently worked as a homemaker raising their three children: Randy, Allison, and Jennifer.Throughout her life, Carolyn was an avid collector and enjoyed frequent trips to antique malls and shops. Her extensive collection of American pewter led her to discover a lack of documentation about the trademarks from one era. She researched the subject by visiting the Library of Congress and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C. Ultimately she authored and published The Mystery Era of American Pewter, 1928-1931, which also featured photographs taken by her husband.After collecting miniatures for years, she began making and selling miniature plants and food items which she sold at craft shows and included in her own shadow box interiors. Her love of teddy bears sparked what would become her principal hobby: designing, making, and dressing almost 2000 handmade, collectible teddy bears. She sold the bears under the label "A. Willsmith Bear" - a nod to her mother, Nell Williams, who initially sewed the bear forms.Carolyn delved into genealogy, researching and charting family ancestry using resources available prior to the digital era. She also enjoyed reading, working crossword puzzles, and solving cryptoquotes.The whole family enjoyed summer vacations at a dude ranch near Estes Park, CO for 15 years. After the kids were grown, Carolyn and Bob travelled to England and Canada, visited their children and grandchildren, and enjoyed riverboat cruises in Europe until Carolyn was incapacitated by Alzheimer's disease.Carolyn is survived by Robert M. (Bob) Smith, her husband of almost 61 years; children Randall Smith (Charlynn Violett), Allison Roberts, and Jennifer Chmelka (John Chmelka); and grandchildren Jake Roberts, Mitch Roberts, Tyler Violett, and Ben Violett.In memory of Carolyn, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer's Association in support of their research.