Clarine Smith, age 93, left her worldly home on October 6, 2026. Clarine was born in the small town of Mena in southwest Arkansas. She was the surviving infant of twin girls born to Dora and John Wilson.

She valued education highly and always felt that her basic education was lacking but she decided to leave school when she was 16 and follow her older sister to the state of New York. A short time later, she met her future husband, an Air Force serviceman, James Eugene Kearsey and they were married in South Carolina in 1952. After the birth of a daughter, James had an assignment in Japan and the family relocated there. Claire greatly valued her memories of Japan. The family also was stationed in Hawaii for a period of time after Japan and she fondly talked of the day Hawaii became a state and the parade passed near her home.

Clarie and James divorced after thirteen years. Claire returned to New York with her daughter, Patricia. She married a second time to Irwin Smith and they had a son, Scott in 1969. However, this marriage also ended in divorce and Claire was a single parent.

At this point, Claire decided to continue her education. She first got a GED, then enrolled in a community college in Orange County, New York. After receiving a two-year certificate from the community college, her daughter encouraged her to relocate to South Dakota and continue her work on a four-year degree, which she did. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1984, when she was 51 years old.

Claire never lost her love for the state of New York and she returned there and obtained a job with the State of New York through Cornell University as a nutritionist. She retired in 2002 after becoming eligible for a pension. After retirement, Claire lived in Cornwall in Orange County near the Hudson River where she loved to go sit at the edge of the river and read her book.

In 2022, Claire relocated to Bella Vista, Arkansas to be near family. She lived at Concordia Retirement facility before needing additional assistance. In October 2025, the family relocated her to Highlands of Bella Vista, where she was well cared for by the staff there.