Corinne L. Smith

Corinne was born in 1939 to parents Harry and Sylvia. After WWII, her family moved from Illinois to Southern Arizona for the health benefits of the warm, arid climate. Corinne entered third grade in Tombstone, where she met Art Smith, not knowing then that he would someday be her husband.

Corinne was an athlete and honor student, involved in most activities available at Tombstone High School. Upon graduation, she attended the University of Arizona where she was a scholarship student studying business. She was recruited out of college and became a loan officer in Phoenix.

In 1963, Corinne and Art were married in Tombstone. Art was an Engineering Officer in the U.S. Navy Destroyer Service, and the couple made their home in San Diego where Corinne was again involved in the loan industry. When Art’s deployments in Southeast Asia were over, the couple moved to Phoenix in 1965, where they remained. They recently observed their 60th wedding anniversary.

Corinne loved being a parent to son, Brian, and daughter, Kirsten, and was involved in their activities and sports throughout their entire school careers. Corinne became a very active volunteer in organizations and causes that were close to her heart: The Heard Museum Guild, Parent Teacher Organizations, Planned Parenthood of Arizona - where she was both a clinic worker and community educator - and the Nature Conservancy of Arizona. She was always interested in, and worked for, women’s health issues and conservation.

Starting in 1989, Art and Corinne made a decision to see some of the remote parts of the world while there still were some. Their first expedition was to Antarctica, and they visited one or two places a year through 2023, when they visited Torres del Paine in Chile, followed by the D-Day invasion route from London to Paris via Omaha Beach. Corinne has taken beautiful photographs on all seven continents.

Corinne had no idea that she had metastatic cancer until an ER visit in late October 2023. She died peacefully at home on January 22, 2024. The family extends gratitude to Hospice of the Valley.

Corinne was predeceased by her brother, Douglas, who died in November 2023. She is survived by her husband, Art, son Brian (Han), daughter Kirsten (Tyler), grandson Gus, and her sister-in-law Sallie Craig.

Per Corinne’s wishes, there will be no services, and a gathering of remembrance will be held this spring. In lieu of flowers, please take a friend to lunch and/or consider a donation to your favorite organization. 

A life well lived.