Jacquelyn Leone Smith, 90, devoted mother, former resident of Amityville

by Ali Lanyon

Jacquelyn Leone Smith, former Amityville resident and mother, died on May 5, 2000 following an extended illness. She was 90.

"She was a good mother," daughter Earla Sue McNaull said. "She was very diplomatic and always knew the right thing to say."

Mrs. Smith was born in Minneapolis, Kansas in 1909, and lived in various Kansas towns until her marriage to Earl C. Smith, a chemical engineer, in 1927.

Mr. Smith’s work in the Army took the couple to many homes on the East Coast, to Houston, Texas, and Huntsville, Alabama. They finally settled in Amityville at 129 Bayview Avenue.

The Amityville house became Mrs. Smith’s life work, as she restored the 19th century house and then redecorated it. "It looked like a haunted house when they bought it...shutters and screens were falling off," McNaull said. "They scraped down the outside, redid the woodwork inside, bought new paneling, put in a kitchen and two bathrooms, and then decorated it."

In fact, restoring the house was Mrs. Smith’s most passionate hobby. But she also loved living on Long Island. "She loved the climate, had many friends, and loved being close to New York City," McNaull said.

McNaull said that her mother always presented herself nicely to the outside world. "She was one of those people who would never step out of the house without her hair and face done...she always looked very nice," McNaull said. "She wore heels until the doctor told her she couldn’t...even when she broke her hip and was in physical therapy she wouldn’t wear sneakers."

Mrs. Smith is survived by her daughter, Earla Sue McNaull and her husband, Colin, of Hinesburg, Vermont. She is also survived by two granddaughters, Elizabeth Dressler of Bainbridge Island, Washington, and Sarah Howe McNaull of Ithaca, New York. In addition, she is survived by a nephew, Frederick William Keifer, of Grand Blanc, Michigan.

Following cremation, Mrs. Smith’s ashes were mixed with those of her husband’s in a family plot in Arkansas City, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations in Mrs. Smith’s name be made to the Hospice of the Champlain Valley, 1110 Prim Road, Colchester, VT, 05446, or the charity of one’s choice.