Marie E. Smith, 74, was born on Valentine's Day, in Oklahoma, to Lester & Helen Willis, and was surrounded by family when she passed away in Springfield, MO, on October 18, 2021.

When she was a young girl, her family moved to Missouri where Marie attended St. Joseph Catholic School, Hillcrest High School, and had fun growing up exploring Springfield, Ash Grove, and the Ozarks with her sister (MariAn), friends, and extended family. After graduation, the family moved to Kingsville, TX. Marie attended Texas A&I University and worked for the top executives of H-E-B Grocers in Corpus Christi. She enjoyed living the coastal life, the people she met, and her adventures in her gold mustang, yet decided to return to the four seasons of the Ozarks. Back home in Missouri, she attended Drury University, met, and married Jim Smith, started a family and her career. She was an active, loving mother and grandmother. While her family was first, Marie held a long career as a freelance paralegal. She helped lay foundations for those who would succeed her in the career by helping to develop (and teach) college courses for new paralegals and many years of leadership in the Southwest Missouri Paralegal Association and Missouri Paralegal Association.

Marie loved her family, friends, and the buzz of everyone together. She loved a good adventure, a drive through the rolling hills of Missouri (especially if she could catch a tummy or two), backroad "short-cuts" and "scenic" routes, her community, genealogy, auctions, puzzles, games of Yahtzee, Scrabble, Arthritis, audio books, and her cats. A lifetime learner, Marie was constantly researching and learning about various subjects. She loved to tell stories of her family and passed times.

Marie will be missed by her daughter, Tamara "Tami" Smith; son, Scotty Smith (Lorelei); grandchildren, Kyler, Kobi, and Keeley Hammonds; sister, MariAn Willis; beloved nieces and nephews and their families; ex-husband, James "Jim" Smith; many cousins, friends, extended family, and faithful cat, Koko.

Visitation is scheduled for Saturday, October 30, 2021, from 5-7 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf, 1947 East Seminole, Springfield, MO. A private graveside service will be held in the spring.