Obituary of Patricia Smith

Patricia “Pat” Engberg Smith, 83, of Great Falls, Montana passed away peacefully into the arms of her Savior on Thursday, May 16, 2024.

Pat was born on December 10, 1940, to Einar and Marie Engberg in Great Falls. She was the youngest of three girls. After graduating from Great Falls High School in 1958, Pat worked at Polly’s Dress Shop as a bookkeeper. 

In 1959, she met the love of her life, Gerald T. Smith, and the two were wed on December 31, 1960. Between 1963 and 1971, Pat and Gerald welcomed four children, three sons and a daughter, and their days were subsequently filled with endless fishing and camping trips, church functions, and extended family get togethers at Pat’s sister’s farm in Manhattan, Montana.

Pat’s life changed forever in 1974 when she devoted her life to Christ. She and her family began attending First Alliance Church, a place that would become a second home for the next forty plus years and where she would meet many lifelong friends. 

Easter was Pat’s favorite holiday and Spring her favorite season. She loved collecting lambs and anything with tulips. Anyone who spent time with Pat will undoubtedly remember her drinking copious amounts of tea (or forgetting it in the microwave for hours and drinking it anyways.) She was a lover of Howard’s cheese pizza, mysteries and crime dramas, and she would never turn down an opportunity to play a game or spend hours bent over a jigsaw puzzle. Pat loved and cherished her dogs Candy, Ebony, Teddy, and Rudy.

She was a loving daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and friend. To a stranger, she might have appeared a small and quiet woman, but to those who knew and loved her she will be remembered for her unwavering faith, infectious sense of humor, and truly remarkable spirit. 

Pat is survived by her four children, Daniel Smith (Debbie), Suzanne Clason (Robert), Robert Smith (Jody), and Michael Smith (Shannon); fifteen grandchildren; twenty-seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. 

She was preceded in death by her sisters, Shirley and Joanne; parents; and beloved husband, Gerald, to whom she remained faithful to her final breath.

At Pat’s request, a private family gathering will be held at a later date. Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.OConnorFuneralHome.com.