Vera Lavada Smith

Vera Lavada Smith, 89, longtime Edmonds resident, went to her heavenly home on April 16, 2015 after a brief illness. She passed away at Swedish Hospital in Edmonds Washington. Vera was one of seven children born to Roscoe B. Coons and Mayetta Fern Gilbert Coons. She was born in McKenzie, N.D. on November 25, 1925. The family moved to Bismarck, N.D. in 1934 and moved to Skagit County, WA in 1937 where the family owned and operated a small gas station in Edison Washington. After graduating from Burlington-Edison high school she moved to Seattle where for a while she shared an apartment with her sister Phyllis.Vera married Carroll Rhonholt in 1943 and lived on a Navy Base in Kirkland for two years while attending Beauty School in Seattle. After their divorce, she married Robert Noll in 1948 and moved to Edmonds where she started her own beauty shop in their home. Vera enjoyed dancing and playing cards with friends. They had a daughter, Valeria Lavada Nanette Knoll born Oct. 14, 1955. They later divorced around 1970. Valeria married Ray Godsey and had twin sons, Kyle Tyler, born June 23, 1994. Valeria died December 7, 2009 after a short illness. Vera married Steve Smith who worked for the F.A.A. and the family spent a year in Thailand. After retiring from the F.A.A., Steve worked in Saudi Arabia for nearly sixteen years. Vera would spend six months a year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Steve died Feb. 13, 2010. Vera remained in the family home in Edmonds and enjoyed spending time with her grandsons and her Dachshund Ritzy.Vera is survived by her grandsons Kyle and Tyler of Marysville, her sister Phyllis Coons Crawford of Centralia, her brothers Wes Coons of Burlington, Richard Coons of Sedro Wooley, Leonard Coons of Arizona and Ken Coons of Nevada, along with many nieces and nephews, her step-son Steven Jr., and step-daughter Kelly. Preceding her in death were her husband Steve, her daughter Val, her parents and her older brother Glen Coons of Hermiston Idaho.Special thanks to Ray Godsey for comforting her in her last hours. A huge thank you to her caretaker Dee who spent endless hours lovingly caring for her for the past year and for Jo Ann Adiele for being a guardian angel to all of us and spending many loving hours with Vera. Jo Ann took care of so many little details and was also able to find a loving new forever home for Veras dog Ritzy.A memorial is scheduled for May 16 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at Becks Funeral Home, 405 5th Avenue South, Edmonds, WA. Please feel free to share your special memories. A light luncheon will be provided. Private interment will take place at Edmonds Memorial Cemetery at a later date.