Obituary of Amanda A. Smith

Amanda Anna Smith Beloved wife, loving mother, grandmother Amanda A. Smith (nee Schmitt), 86, of Morris Township, N.J. passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 30, 2020 after a brief illness. Amanda is survived by her loving husband of 63 years Alfred P. Smith III, her loving children, Lisa A. Smith of Morris Township, N.J. and Michael C. Smith (Nina Lalevic) of Santa Fe, N.M., as well as her two adored grandsons, Nicholas C. Smith of Stamford, Conn. and Lucas P. Smith of New Orleans, La. Amanda was born January 3, 1934 in Nuremberg, Germany, the only child of Christian and Else (Stettner) Schmitt. Her father was a POW in Russia during WWII and her home was often bombed. She and her mother were forced to flee to relatives in the countryside. These experiences made Amanda a very strong and determined person. Amanda met her husband Al in Germany through mutual friends in 1957. They married that same year in Erlangen, where Al was based as an artillery officer in the U.S. Army. They soon transferred to the U.S. and moved to Schenectady, N.Y. where Al began work at General Electric. There, with other young wives, Amanda became an excellent bridge player. In 1965, Amanda was awarded Mother of the Year in recognition of her love and devotion to her son Michael and her daughter Lisa (a special needs child). That same year Al and Amanda moved to Brussels, Belgium due to Al’s work for Merck & Co. They travelled extensively throughout Europe. On their return to the U.S. in 1967, Al and Amanda settled in Morris Township, N.J. to raise their family. Amanda enjoyed playing bridge, going to the theater, gardening, entertaining friends and family, and playing tennis. She was a 40-year member of the Morris County Golf Club. She and Al also travelled extensively in Europe, South America and Southeast Asia. Amanda was a wonderful, caring mother and a splendid cook who took great pride in her home and family. She will be deeply missed. Interment will be private in the spring at Hanover Cemetery, East Hanover, N.J. Arrangements are by Burroughs Kohr Dangler Funeral Home, Madison, N.J. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Easter Seal Society in Amanda’s name would be welcome.