Bernice Smith

BERNICE SMITH A private family service was held for Bernice Alvina Smith, 92 of Chico. She passed away on Monday, March 23, 2015 at The Country House in Chico. Bernice was born January 22, 1923 to John and Alvina Lloyd in St. Paul, MN. She enlisted in the Navy in 1943 after graduating from busi-ness college, joining her three brothers in the military. While in the Navy she met and married Thomas A. Smith. They moved to California at the end of the war and located in Chico in 1949. Bernice raised her children on the family farm south of Chico until re-entering the work force as the manager of Kilpatrick's Toy Town. She attended Butte College to update her bookkeeping skills before taking a position at the then new Western Woods, a lumber wholesaler and distributor. She retired from Western Woods in 1996. In retirement she spent many happy years volunteering with the Senior Nutrition Program at the Dorothy Johnson Center. Bernice enjoyed going to Stretch and Tone classes, reading and doing puzzles. Above all the most important thing in her life was her family. She is survived by her four children, Patty (Jeff) Day of Chico, Michael (Sharon) Smith of Chico, Kathy (Brownie) McGehee of Redwood Valley and Bob (Debbie) Smith of Durham; eight grandchildren, Gregory Day, Laurie Hansen, Callie Shipley, Heidi Killkenny, Tanner McGehee, Bill Smith, Dana Sutter and Kaitlin Smith; five great grand-children, Lily Hansen, Finley Day, Loreli Sutter, Pandora Smith and Gabriel Smith. Bernice was preceded in death by her husband Thomas A. Smith and her three brothers Donald, Jack and Harold Lloyd. The family would like to thank the staff of The Country House for their compassion and excel-lent care of Bernice. Donations may be made in memory of Bernice by hugging someone you love.