Evelyn Cecelia Traynor Smith
With tears on her cheeks and a smile on her face, Evelyn Cecelia Traynor Smith lovingly passed away in her daughter’s arms on Tuesday, August 8, 2006. Since 2001, Evelyn had resided with her daughter and son-in-law in Reno, Nevada. After bravely battling two bouts of cancer and two hip replacements, she finally succumbed to the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease. No matter how bad she felt, she always politely replied when asked that she felt fine so not to burden others with her pain. She showed her family how to live with dignity and perseverance and finally how to accept giving oneself to the Lord with courage and with strength. Evelyn was fortunate enough to have her life come full circle.
She was born January 9, 1917, to Thomas and Bertha Traynor in Lemont Furnace, Pa.
She married Donald Smith in 1938 and raised her only daughter, Donna, in Uniontown, Pa.
After 54 years of marriage, she buried her husband, Don, and mustered up the strength to move ahead with her life. At 89 and a half, she had outlived everyone of her generation: her husband and her siblings, Eleanor, Joseph, Thomas, Lydia, Jennie and Kathleen.
She is now re-united with all of her family and is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Erik Lomen, and her grandchildren, Kate and Evan Lomen, all of Reno and Evan’s girlfriend, Sarah Studzienski, of Las Vegas, Nevada. She is also survived by her little dog, Madam. In Uniontown, Aunt Evelyn is survived by her loving niece, Judy Vrabel, who helped take care of her during her early years as a widow, as well as many other nieces and nephews whom she loved dearly.
Gram dearly loved her grandchildren and lived her final years for them. Her biggest thrill was to witness her grandson’s college graduation. She saw her granddaughter, Kate, into her senior year of college. After spending this summer with her grandchildren, who helped care for her, Evelyn knew that her life was complete, that her grandkids were raised well and she chose to leave us at the same time Evan was leaving for Portland, Oregon, and Kate was returning to Rochester, New York. Through all of this, Evelyn’s only regret was the fact that she was not in her home in Uniontown, Pa.
Please come to join her in her final homecoming and help us to celebrate her long, vibrant life today (Tuesday, August 15, 2006) from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. in the STEPHEN E. KEZMARSKY III FUNERAL HOME AT 71 Pennsylvania Avenue, Uniontown, Pa., and Wednesday, August 16, 2006, until 9:30 a.m. when Prayers of Transfer will be said.
A Mass of Christian Burial follows at 10 a.m. in Saint John The Evangelist Roman Catholic Church on Jefferson Street with the Rev. Father Michael J. Crookston as Celebrant.
Interment will follow in Saint Joseph Cemetery, Connellsville, Pa.