Mary L. Smith

Mary L. Smith, age 74, of Milford, NJ, passed on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, at Serenity Hospice at the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Hamilton Township, NJ. Born in Somerville, NJ, on December 26, 1949, she was the daughter of the late Ralph and Esther Smith Lomerson of Lebanon Township, NJ.

Mary graduated from North Hunterdon High School in 1968 with honors and the Muhlenberg Hospital School of Nursing in 1971. After 30 years of dedicated service as a Registered Nurse in support of those with developmental disabilities, she retired from the Hunterdon Developmental Center in Clinton, NJ. The friendships and bonds she formed at HDC, were friendships she still maintained over 20 years following her retirement.

Mary's love for crafting was a testament to her creativity and skill. She was adept at sewing, cross-stitching, embroidering, knitting, and crocheting. Her free time was often dedicated to creating beautiful, treasured blankets and baby sets for her loved ones. Despite the challenge of teaching sewing as a left-handed person to right-handed individuals, she successfully passed on her love for crafting to her children and grandchildren. She was a frequent contributor to the Spruce Run Lutheran Church events, showcasing her admiration for all craft work.

Mary enjoyed collecting pottery crafts and buttons for future sewing projects. She also enjoyed being a source of information about family history and, through photography, hoped to help others hold on to family memories.

For Mary, her family was her most cherished treasure. She was a constant presence at the school, sport, and extracurricular events of her grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, always ready to cheer them on and offer her support. Her calendar was filled with reminders of their activities. She was also a dedicated supporter of every family scout's cookie and popcorn sale and each child’s fundraising event. No grandchild, niece, or nephew embarked on their college journey or military service without receiving care packages and cards from Mary, a loving gesture to keep their spirits high while away from home.

Surviving are her two daughters, Jodi Salley and her husband, Russell of Woodbridge, VA, and Terri Fleming and her husband, Keith of Milford, NJ; two siblings, Joe Lomerson of Franklinville, NJ, and Donna Mayberry of Lebanon Township, NJ; six grandchildren, Alexandra, Victoria, Nathaniel, Colin, Madilyn, and Anthony, and many nieces and nephews. She is pre-deceased by two siblings, Pat Nazzaro and Ron Lomerson.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 11:00 AM in the Spruce Run Lutheran Church, Glen Gardner, NJ, under the direction of the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington, NJ. Interment will follow in Spruce Run Lutheran Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the church, and lunch will be served following the service on the first floor of the church building.

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Mary’s honor to either the American Nurses Foundation or to Serenity Hospice Care, 56 Georgetown Rd, Fieldsboro, NJ 08505, in honor of her and the nurses that provided her comfort in her final days.

For further information or to send an online condolence, please visit her Tribute Wall at www.holcombefisher.com.