ORONO – Ellen Rae (Hurd) Smith, 86, wife of the late Basil L. Smith, died Nov. 9, 2006, at a Bangor hospital. She was born Aug. 25, 1920, in Orono, the daughter of Everett and Marguerite (Littlefield) Hurd. Rae was a lifelong resident of Orono. She attended Orono schools and graduated from Maine Central Institute in 1938 and Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Mass., in 1942. During her last year of college and while Basil was on leave from the Army, they traveled to New York City and eloped. They were then formally married Aug. 21, 1942, in San Francisco. After the end of World War II, Rae and Basil moved back to Orono, were they raised their family and lived the remainder of their lives. Rae worked from the early 1960s to the early 70s for the Foreign Language Department at the University of Maine. In 1971 she joined the family business, Dakin’s Sporting Goods Co. until its closing in 1986. Mother was involved in many community activities including, the Orono Public Library Board, Esther Eayres Chapter of the DAR, a member of the Church of Universal Fellowship and was a founding member of Fellowship Circle, a volunteer and leader of the Cub Scouts and Brownies. She was an avid bridge player, loved gardening, flowers and was devoted to her life long passion reading. Mother’s home in Orono was always open to family and friends, and was the place for many community functions and celebrations. She is survived by four children, David S. Smith of Orono, Sarah S. MacFawn and her husband, Kenneth, of Rumford, Mark T. Smith and his wife, Constance, of Bangor and Martha S. Beiser and her husband, Karl, of Bangor; 12 grandchildren, Ellen Tourigny, Jennifer El Alami, David James Smith, Katharine Karlberg, Ian MacFawn, Adam MacFawn, Sarah Quinn, Benjamin D. Smith, Caleb T. Smith, Taylor S. Smith, Marguerite Beiser and Natalie Beiser; and 13 great-grandchildren. A service of remembrance will be celebrated 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at the Church of the Universal Fellowship, 82 Main St., Orono, with the Rev. Lorna Stuart, pastor, officiating. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments after the services at the family home, 124 Main St., Orono. Interment will be at Riverside Cemetery, Orono. Gifts in her memory may be sent to the Orono Public Library Foundation, P.O. Box 308, Orono, ME 04473. A service of Brookings-Smith, LaBeau Chapel, Orono.
ELLEN RAE (HURD) SMITH
