In Loving Memory

Catherine Jo "Cathy" Smith

Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt, Niece, cousin, teacher and friend; Catherine Jo (Sears) Smith was born on September 12th, 1949 to Neal and June (Todd) Sears in Coulee Dam, WA. As the oldest of 4 children, "Cathy" and her family grew and relocated to several new places, including Pullman and Wenatchee, WA, Maryville, TN (1954-56), Vancouver, WA (1956-64), and then to Concord, CA in 1964, where Cathy attended Clayton Valley High School. She was active in the Pep Club, as well as other school activities, and earned a college scholarship from Bank of America for her academic and volunteer achievements. After graduating high school in 1967, she attended Diablo Valley College and California State University of Hayward, receiving both Associates of Arts and Bachelor of Arts Degrees in English.

Soon after college, she married Richard John Smith on November 1, 1969, and they purchased their first home in Pleasant Hill, CA. In 1970, she became Assistant Director of Motivational Learning and conducted private tutoring. After a few years, the couple started a family, having Daughter, Julianne (1973) and son, Scott (1976). For the next 10 years Cathy enjoyed being a Mom while pursuing other career paths such as Real Estate and Interior Design. She had an array of multiple talents and interests, including reading books of all types, writing, painting, completing puzzles, sewing, crocheting, bowling, theatre arts, and gardening. Cathy enjoyed visiting National Parks, botanical gardens, California missions and historical museums. However, her passion was always to teach.

In 1983, Cathy and her 2 children moved to Chewelah, WA to be close to her parents. She went back to school to finish her teaching degree at Eastern Washington University. In Chewelah, she was a substitute teacher and taught art lessons. In 1986, the family of 3 relocated to Lake Elsinore, CA where she taught 4th and 5th grades at Machado Elementary School for the next 25 years. Cathy never stopped learning. She obtained a Master's Degree at the University of California Riverside in Equivalency of Multiple Intelligences and Gifted Education in 1998. That same year she bought a home in Wildomar and resided there for the last 24 years.

In her retirement years, she enjoyed reading, traveling, dinners with family/friends, and studying genealogy. Her genealogy portfolio connected thousands of family members. One of her most prized possessions was her personal Library. Cathy collected and accumulated over 10,000 books. Each book was inventoried and stamped with "this book belongs to the library of Catherine Jo Smith".  Other collections included lighthouses, angels, castles, and Titanic memorabilia. Her organizational skills were impeccable. She was known to be a "Master of all Trades", or a "Walking Encyclopedia", and often gained new perspective on life by "Changing the Kaleidoscope" (one of her many famous quotes). Another favorite line she used was "Don't Burn Your Candle at Both Ends". She loved and cared for all people and had a heart of gold. Her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren were an enormous part of her life, as well as many cherished friends, family, and even former students, with whom she always stayed in contact with.

Heaven gained a true angel on the morning of July 4, 2022, as Cathy passed away, peacefully, at her home in Wildomar, CA. Coincidentally, her annual neighborhood Independence Day parade rolled by, right outside of her bedroom window, just as she began her journey to heaven. We will forever celebrate her memory and kind and warm heart. Cathy is preceded in death by her parents, Neal and June Sears, and Brother, Kurt Sears. She is survived by her Daughter, Julianne (Smith) Zimarik (Temecula, CA); Son, Scott Smith (wife Jill Smith) (Temecula, CA); Sister, Sheri Sears (Electric City, WA); Brother, Steve Sears (Chewelah, WA); Grandchildren, Chanelle Harness (husband Brian Harness) (AZ), Alexandria, Ty, Hannah and Ella, (CA); Great-Grandchildren, Koby and Makayla (AZ); Aunt, Louise (Todd) Brown (Wenatchee, WA); Nieces, Nephews and many other cousins in the Pacific Northwest area. She will be greatly missed and her spirit will continue to shine in all she knew and loved.  We love you mom, always and forever.