Mary Ann Smith age 94, passed away peacefully February 15, 2020 at home surrounded by her loved ones. Mary Ann was born August 6, 1925 in Denver, CO to Lewis Heil and Ella Rankin. She grew up with her 8 siblings next door to the stockyards in downtown Denver, where she found her love for horses and the western lifestyle.
In 1954, Mary Ann married her cowboy and love of her life, Clyde Smith Jr. They settled down on a ranch in Limon, CO. where Clyde was a brand inspector going from sale barn to sale barn. In 1956 they found out they had a child on the way. Mary Ann had a beautiful baby girl, naming her Sharon Kay. Not long after that they moved to Delta, CO where Clyde continued as a brand inspector on the western slope and Mary Ann assumed to role as a rodeo mom, hauling Sharon all over for Little Britches Rodeos and eventually high school rodeos.
In 1975, they finally settled in Fremont County where they would spend the rest of their years together. Mary Ann was the head housekeeper at the Canon Inn for several decades, working side by side her best friends Mary Martinez, Chris Miller and Jean Roberts. They loved working together and especially loved seeing and meeting all the famous movie stars that passed through the hotel. Her favorite being Tom Selleck. Mary Ann eventually retired and they settled on a small piece of property just outside of Florence, where they were able to keep their horses and have a beautiful garden. Mary Ann never missed a moment to take pictures, capturing as many great memories as she could on film.
Mary Ann was a wonderful cook, wife, mother, grandmother and friend and will be greatly missed. She was preceded in death by her husband whom of which she shared an unbreakable love Clyde Smith Jr.
Mary Ann is survived by her daughter Sharon Kay Collins of Florence; grandchildren, Shireen (Michael) Johnson of Canon City, Kristin (Dave) Bunker of Penrose; great-grandchildren, Kylie Bunker of Windsor CO, Nicole (Clayton) Bunker Of Wetmore, Mason Kilgore, Caitlin Johnson, Brynn Johnson, Zane Bunker; and her beautiful great-great grandchild Paisley Mae Riddle.
Mary Ann requested no funeral service, just a graveside gathering taking place February 25, 2020 at 1pm.
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