Loretta B. Smith

Loretta B. Smith, age 78, passed away on Friday, April 10, 2020, with her loving family at her side. Born September 1, 1941, in Jersey City, NJ, Loretta was the daughter of the late Casimir and Helen (Marczyk) Juncewicz. Loretta spent much of her life working in the real estate world, as a salesperson, a broker, an appraiser, and an instructor. She helped to develop the Princeton School of Real Estate and the Weichert School of Real Estate. She taught real estate classes as an adjunct instructor at Mercer County and Raritan Valley Community Colleges. She was the Director of Real Estate Studies at Fairleigh Dickinson University and Mercer County College. She truly loved teaching and continued to teach up until late 2019. Loretta also worked for many happy years at the NJ Department of Transportation in Right of Way Acquisitions and in Value Engineering. She enjoyed the work she did in these departments and valued the friendships and connections that she made there over the years. Loretta was a member of the Central Jersey Deborah Chapter, The Ringoes Grange, a member of the Altar Rosary Society of St. Alphonsus Church, and then St. John the Evangelist Church. She sponsored special needs children in Guatemala, and in her earlier years, enjoyed working with the Boy Scouts of Hopewell, along with her husband, Russell. She and her husband also operated the Smith’s Family Store, in Hopewell, in the early 70’s and sponsored local soccer teams. Loretta was a mentor to many in the local real estate profession, in Mercer and Hunterdon Counties. She enjoyed her personal hobby of writing and brought many contributions to her personal and work environment. She was a proud member of the Allentown High School (NJ) , Class of 59, and cherished her friendships and reunions with that special group of people. Loretta was a giving, loving mother and grandmother who helped her family out in so many ways. Her greatest enjoyment was spending time with her 9 grandchildren. She loved to take them on special outings, out to dinner and shopping trips and teaching them about cooking and baking. She was a great supporter to them in their schooling and activities and was always proud of their accomplishments. She will live on through them and all of those that she has touched. In addition to her parents, Loretta was predeceased by her husband, of 55 years, Russell D. Smith, in 2018, and her brother-in-law, Arthur Elliott, in 2014. She is survived by her children, Jeffrey M. Smith, of Ringoes, NJ, Scott D. Smith and his wife Tosca J. Smith, of Montgomery, VT, and Cynthia L. Bednar, and her husband, David Bednar, of West Amwell Twp., NJ. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Heather M. Smith, Holly E. Smith, Hayley C. Smith, Jack R. Bednar, Molly L. Bednar, Cara Jane Bednar, all of New Jersey, and Sadie D. Smith, Anna C. Smith, and Calvin T. Smith, of Vermont, her sister, Helen Elliott and her son, Artie C. Elliott. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there will be no visitation hours or public ceremony. Graveside services will be private, on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at Highland Cemetery in Hopewell, NJ under the direction of the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ. A Memorial Service/ Life Celebration will be planned at a later date, once social distancing restrictions have been lifted. Donations in Loretta’s memory may be made to The Foundation for Morristown Medical Center’s COVID-19 Support Fund at f4mmc.org or to the Delaware Valley Food Pantry at delawarevalleyfoodpantry.org. For further information or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.