Patricia Beach Smith

Born: August 23, 1943 St. Louis, Missouri

Died: May 13, 2026 Sacramento, California

Mother: Elizabeth Holton Beach (Betty)

Father: Atwell Janvier Smith (Bud)

She is survived loved and admired by

Brother:Stephen Atwell Smith (Steve) Sister in law Becky Smith

Sister: Elizabeth Janvier Smith Abramowitz (Jan) Brother in lawPaul Abramowitz

Her nieces: Stephanie Smith Davenport, Sarah Smith, Nicole Abramowitz Weber

Her Nephew: Sean Abramowitz

Great nephews: Everest Abramowitz and Jerry Abramowitz weber

Great nieces: Laurelei Abramowitz an d Eliza Abramowitz Weber

In the words of Pat’s autobiography…”It all started in a duck blind-or so they told me. I want to believe that since I love a good story. Anyway everything since then has been hasinteresting.

Shortly after I was born on a stifling Saturday in St. Louis, I was given a box of calling cards. (What every three day old child needs) Perhaps being born in the SHOW ME state is what imbued me with an innate sense of curiosity and propelled me toward a career in journalism -a professional haven for the terminally curious.

Beyond that, I haven’t decided exactly what I’ll be when I grow up. (After all I’m only 39). So far I’ve been managing a juggling act with three balls in the air, journalism, music, and a deep appreciation for the arts. While they seem to be disparate endeavors I think I have pulled them together to make a whole life.”

And ideed she did!

Pat went on to live an extraordinary life. Growing up in in the calm of the post World War Two era in Birmingham Michigan she began her singing career at the age of five, studied voice until at the age of sixteen sang with the Michigan Opera Theatre in the chorus of La Traviata. She began her journalism career by starting a school newspaper in fifth grade.

Clearly a portent of the future as she continued on in both veins to get degrees in both music performance and journalism from Indiana University. Shortly after graduation wanderlust took hold and without a job she decided to move to Germany. Out of necessity she learned to speak fluent German in six months and took various jobs to pay her part of the rent and travelled all around Europe . These trips were only the beginning.

All throughout her life as a journalist first on the staff of the Indiana Daily Student, the Birmingham Eccentric, and a 26 yearcareer as an award winning feature writer fo the Sacramento Beeshe travelled extensively. Some of her favorite adventures were introducing her nieces, Stephanie, Sarah and Nicole to the wonders of Europe. With her best friend Lani and sometimes Chip and Jonathan she traveled the world from China to India and most recently last November to Japan.

On one trip to France with sister Jan and Lani, They visited the places from where their Janvier ancestors originated, La Rochelle and Ile De Re. Pat drove over 1100 miles on that trip with seemingly inexhaustible energy. Then after many hours of sightseeing in Avignon her trvelling companions pleaded that they desperately needed to take a break. Patsie stared at them in disbelief then sister Jan said “ You Know Pat you just can’t see EVERYHTING.” To which Pat replied “ You Can’t?” Nothing was going to stop her from trying.

She supported the Arts in so many ways.

Gave students from other counties a place to live in her home.

Worked to raise money for Loaves and Fishes and the community food bank and many more that we don’t know about.

There is so much more to Pat’s story and she was all about the story. Those of you who knew her understand what I mean. Your story was important to her and the stories she would tell about her life and the wide variety of people she met during her career and just getting to know her neighbors or the person sitting next to her on a plane were also important. Everybody mattered.

Pat was driven by curiosity and motivated to convey throughstories about art, to inspire her fellow human beings to make the world a more beautiful place.

She was happiest when surrounded by family and friends gathered to eat and drink and celebrate being together.

We will each of us remember Pat in our own way and carry a little bit of her spirit with us as we carry on without her actual presence.

So here we are gathered to wish her well as she embarks on a new adventure. So now it’s time to say , Hasta La Vista, Arrivederci, Bon Voyage mon ami.

In Lieu of Flowers Donation can be sent to:

Sacramento Food Bank or Sacramento City College scholarship fund