Viola Mae Smith, affectionately known as Vi, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2025, in Richland, Washington at the age of 92.

Born on August 29, 1933, in Cherryvale, KS, to parents Clarence and Olive (Pratt) Hummel, she moved with her family from Parsons, KS to Richland, WA in 1945. She attended school in Richland and Finley, graduating from River View High School in 1951 and immediately went to work as a Secretary for General Electric from 1951 to 1955.

In 1953 Viola met Robert Lee Smith, a new employee of GE recently discharged from the army in Fort Lewis, WA at a dance for young singles in the old City Recreation Hall in Richland. Bob and Vi soon discovered that they both were born in the small town of Cherryvale, KS, but grew up in neighboring towns. They were married a year later on May 8, 1954 in the small government-built Central United Protestant Church in Richland, WA and raised a family of four children, one daughter and three sons.

Vi dedicated much of her life to her family and the community. She was actively involved in Central United Protestant Church. Here, she not only worshipped but also helped others by assisting with wedding and funeral coordination as well as many other activities. A proud member of the PEO Sisterhood, Vi was passionate about supporting women’s education.

Vi’s family was her pride and joy and they will all miss her deeply. She is survived by her sister, Shirley Mouser; her children, Vicki Sippel of Salt Lake City, Steve Smith and his wife Kristy of Shoreline WA, Randy Smith and his wife Diane of Richland, and Brian Smith of Everett, WA; along with her cherished nieces and nephews.

Vi’s legacy continues through her eight grandchildren: Ashley Olson (husband Jon) of SLC, Chad Sippel (fiancée Haley) of Herriman, UT; Lee Harmon of San Francisco, Ben Gamble (wife Sophia) of Whidbey Island, Cary Smith (wife Kathryn) of Salem, OR, Lindsey John Smith (wife Kim) of West Richland; Tatum Smith of Everett and Malachai Smith of Everett.

She is also survived by 11 great-grandchildren: JD, Noah, Mia, Rhodes, Desi, Lake, Sadie, Isabelle, Tristan, Sidney, and Summer.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bob, in 2017, her parents Clarence and Olive Hummel, her infant brother Lawrence, and siblings Donald and Donna, as well as her son-in-law, Richard Sippel.

The family would like to thank the care staff at Guardian Angel Homes (Robert, Shelby, Jacqueline, Brenda, Olivia and others) who provided our mother with tender care throughout the approximately three years that she was there. It gave our family a great sense of comfort to know she was so well cared for.

Vi’s funeral will be held Saturday, September 13th at 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary at Central United Protestant Church, 1124 Stevens Drive, Richland, WA 99354.

The funeral service will be live streamed at the link below and the recording will continue to be viewable at this link after the service. https://youtube.com/live/hZ4FUUeU1Zw?feature=share.

In remembrance of Vi’s lifelong commitment to helping others, the family suggests that in lieu of flowers, donations could be made in her memory to the charity of your choice or to the Means for Dreams Foundation, an initiative started by her son Steve and daughter-in-law Kristy, which focuses on providing music education to underprivileged children. Contributions can be made through their website at https://meansfordreamsfoundation.org/

Vi’s kindness, generosity, and unwavering support of her family and community will be remembered by all who knew her.