Marcia Loomis Smythe

Marcia Loomis Smythe was born in Cleveland, Ohio to proud parents – Marcus Loomis Smythe and Jean Pickands Smythe. Marcia is survived by her nieces and nephews:  Virginia Smythe, Robert Smythe, Jane McKelvey, Lisa McKelvey, Josh Krembs, Marcus Krembs, Scott Applegate, Alan Applegate; and by her step-sister, Gail Applegate. She is predeceased by her parents, Marcus and Jean; her brothers, Jay Smythe and Daniel Smythe; her step-sister, Nancy Krembs; her sister-in-law, Nancy Smythe; and her niece, Terri Applegate.

Marcia grew up in Palm Beach, Florida. She attended Palm Beach public school followed by Greenwood Academy boarding school in Baltimore, Maryland. After high school, Marcia attended Hollins College, a private women’s college near Roanoke, Virginia (class of 1956).

Marcia majored in History and Political Science. Her love for politics had her working on several political campaigns, most notably, Diane Feinstein’s campaign for mayor of San Francisco.

Besides her work on political campaigns, Marcia had a handful of office jobs before landing with the Red Cross. For most of Marcia’s career with the Red Cross, she worked in Disaster Services. Her calm, but can-do nature was paramount for this type of work. She worked on-site in the aftermath of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and the like. She was a person that handled adversity well.

Not only did Marcia choose a career of service, she was also extremely civically minded, always volunteering or supporting local charities. She loved volunteering at the Environmental Learning Center, feeding and advocating for the homeless in San Francisco, and finding and supporting many needy organizations that help the underprivileged.

Marcia had an adventurous spirit and she traveled extensively. She often encouraged others to ‘see the world’.

She loved photography and has many of her best photos displayed in her home. Until she was no longer able, she loved to do complex needlepoint.

While living in San Francisco, she was part of a gourmet “foodie” group that would go to a new and undiscovered restaurant each month. The group was not allowed to revisit any place they had already been as part of their monthly get-together dinners. This was to encourage the discovery of other fun, new places. She loved going to live theater and supported the local arts.

She had a deep love of Christmas as evidenced by her ornately decorated trees. Many of her ornaments are family heirlooms, or collected from her travels, that she preserved and cared for. She was skilled at finding unique and fun Christmas gifts. Her gifts were always anticipated and wrapped beautifully.

Marcia was an avid shell collector. Her shells came from across the globe and were displayed throughout her home. They are the envy of many.

But, one of Marcia’s favorite things was her love of entertaining. She loved to cook and have guests in her home. She loved reading cookbooks, gourmet dining, making desserts, and decorative canapes. She was very upset to have missed hosting her annual Easter dinner this year.

The other great love of Marcia’s was her love of dogs.  Throughout her life, Marcia shared her home with many beloved dog family members:  Max, Tarn, Conner, and Ava to name a few.  She is survived by her Boykin Spaniel rescue, Lola.

Marcia is one of the founding members of the annual Sea Oaks dog walk and the Parade of Champions. This dog walk showcases many different categories – best rescue, best personality, friendliest, longest ears, shortest tail, etc. This was a fun endeavor she did with dear friends – both animal and human.

Marcia had a profound impact on the world around her. She was a well-loved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend to many. She will be missed by all who knew her.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Humane Society of Vero Beach. Donations can be made in person or can be sent to: The Humane Society of Vero Beach, 6230 77th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32967. You can also donate via the donations page on HSVB.org site.

Arrangements are by Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home & Crematory, Vero Beach.