| Graduation Year | Class of 1949 |
| Date of Birth | Jan 11, 1931 |
| Date of Passing | Nov 14, 2024 |
| About | Barbara J. Smith, 93, of Westerville, Ohio, formerly of Zanesville, Ohio, passed away peacefully at 5:27 p.m. Nov. 14, 2024, at Kobacker Hospice in Columbus, Ohio, following a fall that resulted in a terminal brain injury. She was born Jan. 11, 1931, in Zanesville, Ohio, the daughter of Katherine (Anderson) Tennant and Glenn Tennant. Barb graduated from Good Samaritan Hospital Nursing School in 1952 and married her high school sweetheart, Darell J. Smith, on June 7, 1953. She worked as a registered nurse while her husband attended medical school at Ohio State University. The couple celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2023. Dr. and Mrs. Smith built a wonderful life together living in Columbus, Ohio; Dahlgren, Virginia, while Darell served in the Navy; Cambridge, Ohio; Granville, Ohio; Upper Arlington, Ohio; moved back to Zanesville, Ohio in 1975; and then moved to Westerville, Ohio, in 2021, once they decided they were permanently retired. Although Barbara excelled as a nurse, her true passion was art. She dreamt of attending art school, but her practical parents said they didn’t think she could make a living “drawing pictures.” After Darell finished medical school, Barb set aside her nursing career to focus on being a full-time mother, expertly managing a bustling household of six people and the family’s many pets. She ensured her children had every opportunity to explore their interests. When time permitted, Barb pursued her artistic talents, with the medium of watercolors being her favorite. She loved painting barns, landscapes—especially landscapes with rocks and boulders where her artistic eye could see a range of colors in the seemingly gray forms. Once her four children, were sufficiently grown she attended classes at Ohio University Zanesville (OUZ) and opened her dream store, The Tortoise Shell, in Buchanan Square. The store, filled with unique and beautiful items, was a testament to her impeccable taste and the decades of knowledge she had amassed about antiques, collectibles, and decorative accessories. Barb’s eye for design led many customers to seek her help in decorating their homes and businesses, which eventually blossomed into a successful interior design business. She later opened a second shop, The Tortoise Shell II, in Upper Arlington. Barb was a huge proponent of the arts and served on the board of Beaux Arts in Zanesville. She had volunteered for many organizations through the years, such as Meals on Wheels, Parents Anonymous, Girl Scouts, several PTAs and PTOs, and was a proponent of family planning volunteering at Planned Parenthood when she was a nurse. Known affectionately as "Nanny," Barb found immense joy in watching her five grandchildren grow up. She had a nurturing spirit, delighting in the baby stage while also cherishing the unique qualities of each grandchild and was always excited to hear of their latest adventures. Barb Smith was definitely one of a kind with her superpowers being loyalty, caring, curiosity, honesty, resilience, and compassion. Her genuine interest in people extended to everyone she met, leaving a lasting impact on those fortunate enough to know her. The following excerpt from the most popular post on her late husband’s website, eshrinkblog.com, gives insight into Barb’s personality. She was the extrovert to his introvert. “I am sure you also have surmised that Barb is my best friend, one who has supported, defended, and believed in me. Her loyalty is absolute. She genuinely cares about people. I have often said that she is the only person I know who gets high on people. When we go to a social function where she has an opportunity to talk with many people, she frequently has difficulty going to sleep—much as if she were freaked out on methamphetamine. On meeting someone new she will get a comprehensive history and learn all about them and their family. Later she will remember the names of children and grandchildren while I often don’t even recognize that person if I should run into them again. Once you make the cut and become her friend it will be forever, and if you or yours are in trouble you will surely hear from her for compassion is as much a part of her as breathing.” Barb Smith was an overlooked and somewhat unlikely trailblazer. She openly shared her experience with clinical depression, having experienced her first debilitating episode after having her first child in 1956—before the medical term of post-partum depression or anti-depressant medications existed. She was a vocal advocate for mental health, therapy, and the development of medications to combat the unseen disease of mental illness. Her honesty and openness prompted her to share her story with others, encouraging them to seek help. Each time she told her story, she chipped away at the stigma that had typically surrounded mental illness and seeking psychiatric help. Barb Smith was a person who loved at a different level—even when she was in senior communities and memory care facilities she continuously cared for others. Her resilience was remarkable, navigating the loss of her husband, dementia, five hospitalizations, and four moves within one year. Through it all, her interest in other people, her curiosity, nurturing personality, and newly honed sense of humor shined. Her ability to see beauty—even in a dilapidated barn on the side of the road—and her genuine interest in other humans she shared space with on this earth will be dearly missed. Barb was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Katherine Tennant; her brother Richard (Dick) Tennant; her husband, Darell Smith earlier this year; her eldest daughter, Molly Smith; in addition to many beloved Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her children; Peter Smith (Sue) of Westerville, Ohio, Trudy Shelley (Jim) of Indianapolis, Ind, Maggie Smith (Gregg Williams) of Indianapolis, Ind.; and five grandchildren; Emmeline (Emma) Smith of Indianapolis, Ind., Carter Smith of Boston, Mass., Simon Kuntz of Indianapolis, Ind., Caroline Kuntz of New York, NY, and Sofia Shelley of Indianapolis, Ind. Friends and family may call from 12:00 Noon until time of service starting at 1:00 P.M. on Monday, November 25, 2024 at BOLIN-DIERKES FUNERAL HOME, 1271 BLUE AVENUE, ZANESVILLE, with Rev. Deb Bowsher officiating. Barb will be laid to rest at Zanesville Memorial Park Cemetery beside her beloved husband, Darrell. |
