Obituaries

Joyce Smith, Former Owner of Whistlestop Bed and Breakfast in Leetsdale

Smith turned her love of cooking into a way to serve, most notably at St. Stephen's Christy House and Trinity Seminary in Ambridge, where her husband was a professor of theology.

Joyce Carolyn (Whitney) Smith, age 72, formerly of the Sewickley area, left this earthly life on Tuesday, April 2, 2013 at Passavant Retirement Community in Zelienople.

Mrs. Smith was born in Battle Ground, WA on Feb. 18, 1941, daughter of the late Garold Leroy and Elizabeth Louise (Brown) Whitney.

On September 18, 2010, she was predeceased by her husband of 47 years Stephen McCray Smith, Ph.D.

Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She is survived by her children Rebecca Smith Ford (John) of Greenwich, CT, Elizabeth Smith Avrigean of Pomona, CA and Andrew McCray Smith of Galveston, TX; grandchildren Cameron Avrigean of Pittsburgh, and Ethan and Lucinda Avrigean, both of Claremont, CA; as well as sisters Betty Sullivan and Doris Brooks, both of Battle Ground, WA, Jan Pettit and brother Gary Whitney (Sue) of LaCenter, WA.

She was a 1959 graduate of Battle Ground High School, after which she attended Multnomah School of the Bible, where she met her future husband. For 17 years until 2008, she was the proud owner of the Whistlestop Bed and Breakfast in Leetsdale, delighting in listening to her guests' stories.

Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She turned her love of cooking into a way to serve, most notably at St. Stephen’s Christy House and Trinity Seminary in Ambridge, where her husband was a professor of theology.

She will be greatly missed by her children, who could always count on her for support and understanding. She was a loving and generous friend who was loved generously in return. Later in life she delighted in her dogs, cats, and southern gospel music.

A memorial service will be held at St. Stephen's Church in Sewickley on Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. A reception will follow.

Arrangements by . If desired, contributions may be offered to Passavant Benevolent Fund, 401 S. Main St., Zelienople, PA 16063.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Sewickley