Joyce Belle Smith

Joyce B. Smith passed away on June 9, 2019 in Sandpoint, ID.  She was born March 21, 1939 at Kellogg, Idaho, to Walter F. and Edna Belle (Wallace) Johnson.

She attended elementary schools at Kingston and Pinehurst.  She began high school at Kingston and graduated from Kellogg after the districts were consolidated. While in school she worked for her uncle in his meat market.  After high school she worked for her aunt in the restaurant business.

In 1958 she met Larry Smith and they were married in 1959.  After a short honeymoon through Glacier National Park they spent their real honeymoon at the Moose Creek Ranger Station in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area where Larry was a District Ranger.

After a few moves with the Forest Service they settled in Sandpoint in 1966.  Joyce then got involved in 4-H and the Boy Scouts of America, shepherding daughter Brenda and son Kip through those organizations.  She was very instrumental in helping Kip earn his Eagle in the boy scouts.  She spent 10 years working in 4-H as a Superintendent at fairs in Bonner and Kootenai Counties.  In 4-H she started the cake decorating program and over a period of four years “her kids” took many blue ribbons for their work.

Though the years she worked at the Nu-way cleaners, Coldwater Creek, Lake Pend Oreille School District, and Riverpath Studio.  In addition to the mentioned groups her volunteer efforts included teaching cake decorating for North Idaho College, teaching 4-H knitting and crocheting for two years and judging 4-H at Coeur d’ Alene for two years.

She spent several years baking and decorating cakes for weddings and birthdays.  She finally decided to keep very busy at home with flower gardening, lawn mowing and painting.  She loved to paint and did fantastic owls on glass.  However she continued to get requests for her decorated cakes. 

The school bus shop fondly remembers the cookies delivered by her husband Larry.

She was preceded in passing by her parents and son Kip.

She is survived by her husband, Larry, of 59 years. Daughter, Brenda Yanik (Tony) of Sandpoint.  She is also survived by two sisters; Karen DuPuis of Pinehurst and Gail Nearing of Kingston, one grandson Joe Yanik of Sandpoint, niece Debi Marek of Pinehurst and nephew Ron Haynes of Kellogg.

Private family services will held later and memorials may be made to a charity of your choice, in memory of Joyce Smith.