Maerice Olivia Smith

Maerice Oliva Smith was born December 27, 1937, in Lawrence, Kansas to the proud parents Mr. James Wood and Essie Wood. She was the third of six children born to Mr. & Mrs. Wood.

Maerice began her early primary education in Lawrence, Kansas and completed her high school education in Portland organ, graduating from Jefferson High School, in 1955. In that same year, she pledged the Portland City chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (AKA). She earned her 25 years of service award with the organization and remained a proud member of the AKA's for over sixty (60) years.

Upon graduating from High School, Maerice immediately attended college in southern Oregon at Oregon College of Education (OCE), taking her hundreds of miles from home. She graduated from OCE earning a Bachelor of Science in teaching, in 1959. She returned to Portland to begin her teaching career, first as a student teacher and later as a third and fourth grade teacher for about 8 years.

In 1960, she married Mr. Walter John Smith and to this union their son Leland Wayne Smith was born in 1961.

For a brief while, 2 years, she moved to San Bernadino California with her son Leland to pursue a teaching opportunity. She fondly remembers being welcomed and accepted as family to the local chapter of the AKA Sorority while living in that Southern California Community. She involved Leland in sports and other nurturing activities.

Maerice and Leland returned to Portland in 1970, where she accepted a long-term position with Portland Public Schools. Initially she returned to the classroom as a fourth-grade teacher. However, she decided to continue her education, earning a Master’s in Teaching from Portland State University. Maerice then pursued and earned her Administrative Certificate from Louis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon. This afforded her the opportunity to exit the classroom as a teacher and perform special assignments. Her initial special assignment was as the educator of new teachers and later her final assignment was in staff development. Maerice retired from Portland Public Schools in 1998, as a Staff Development Administrator.

Everyone knows her favorite pass time was reading. The thousands of books in her personal library were impressive. She had read each one of them and continued to read daily her entire life.

Maerice's family early life was full of sibling kinship and love (and of course rivalry). That spirit lives on today.

She leaves to mourn, her son Leland Smith and his wife Dr. Andrea Joy Smith of Elk Grove, California. two grandsons Ryan Smith and his wife Amanda Pennington-Smith of Elk Grove, California, her second grandson Vincent Smith of Oceanside, California, her twin sister Clarice Samples (daughter Maria Samples), sister Emma Jean Macon (Samuel) and a host of nieces, nephews and close friends. Preceding her in death are her husband Walter John Smith, her parents Robert & Essie Wood, siblings James Wood, Delcie Ratlif and Barbara Johnson.