Carol German Smith 1951-2021
Carol German Smith, 70, passed away August 11, 2021 at the St. Luke’s Transitional Care Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, of glioblastoma cancer.
Carol was born May 5, 1951, to Lee and Mary Ann (Olson) German in Cameron, Missouri. She grew up near Kidder, Missouri and graduated with the class of 1969 at Cameron High School.
Carol graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. She received a Master of Business Administration degree from St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa in 2008.
Throughout her career she worked for several law firms including Gage & Tucker, and Gray, Cray Ames & Fry, both of Kansas City, Missouri, and Regonzinski Law Firm, Coronado Island, San Diego California.
She was employed by Rockwell-Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa as Principal Regulatory Compliance Specialist for 20 years, retiring in 2019. She dearly loved travel on behalf of the Company, including to France, Singapore and many U.S. cities.
Carol met Thomas Smith on a Navy Ship in Seville during study abroad in Spain. They were married in 1980. Tom and Carol share 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
Carol met the love of her life at the start of the pandemic and married Stephen R. Mitchell October 4, 2020. They enjoyed travel and hiking to all four corners of Iowa as well as Sedona, Arizona. During their marriage, most days would begin with Steve’s wonderful breakfast followed by “Well Mrs. Mitchell, where shall we go today?”.
Carol was passionate about antique glass, Church and grandchildren. She loved her Westmoreland and Heisey glass collections, which she shared with her brother, Lehi. She was a member of the Cedar Rapids Community of Christ Church, taking great pleasure playing piano and teaching Vacation Bible School.
Carol is survived by her loving husband, Stephen R. Mitchell, daughter Kimberly Smith of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; sons Matthew Smith (Nicole) of Ely, Iowa and Bradley Smith (Sara) of Enid, Oklahoma; and grandchildren, Atley, Layton, Ally and Jadyn Smith. Carol leaves behind four siblings, Erna (Gary) Duffer of Independence, MO , Lehi (Christina) German of Kansas City, MO, Rebecca (Bob) Fowler of Kansas City, MO, and Lewis (Joyce) German of Gladstone, MO.
Visitation 1:00 p.m. and memorial service 2:00 p.m. on Saturday August 21, 2021 at the Cedar Rapids Community of Christ Church. A graveside memorial service will be held Monday August 23, 2021, 3:00 p.m. at Kidder, Missouri cemetery.
Arrangements are by Cedar Memorial Funeral Home, Cedar Rapids, IA. For online condolences or messages to the family please go to www.cedarmemorial.com
