Marilyn Hendy Smith

Marilyn Hendy Smith

Rhinebeck, NY Marilyn Hendy Smith, Art Therapist, Nurse and Docent.

Marilyn Hendy Smith, a retired Bellevue Nurse and Art Therapist residing in Rhinebeck NY, died suddenly on February 11th at her Boynton Beach, Florida winter residence while heroically battling cancer at age 69. A loving grandmother and wife, she was steadfast with her friends of all ages, from all walks of life. She loved life, new ideas, and new opportunities. Her family and friends all miss her style, wit, verve, good cheer, love and a sense of doing the right thing and keeping hope as the goal to always strive for. As witness, in the last few weeks of her life, she was involved in the Icon Painting Meditation Workshop at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Delray Beach Florida.

Born in Troy NY, Mrs. Smith, the daughter of the late James and Edna Hendy, graduated from Troy High. Upon graduation from Bellevue School of Nursing, she began her nursing career in Bellevue's then state-of-the-art emergency ward that became a model for today's emergency wards. In 1958, she married Herbert Talbot Smith, first residing in Barcelona, Spain where her husband was stationed with the Navy's Sixth Fleet. Returning to New York City a year later, she resumed nursing on a part time basis in Brooklyn Heights and later, Syosset LI while raising her family and participating in children's educational support programs. In 1974, she enrolled in the University of Toronto while the family lived in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. Returning to New York in 1978, Mrs. Smith resumed her nursing career at Merrill Lynch and Long Island College Hospital. In 1984, she began studies at the School Of Visual Arts in New York City, graduating in 1987 with a B.A. in Fine Arts. Soon there after, she became an Art Therapist at Bellevue Hospital until retiring in 1996 and moving to Rhinebeck NY.

In retirement, combining her artistic skills with her new interest in computer applications, she became a computer artist, forming ARTICARDS to market her works. A member of Rhinebeck's Starr Library, she contributed to the library's art auctions. For the past 4 years she was a docent at Wilderstein, an extraordinary Victorian house overlooking the Hudson River outside the village of Rhinebeck.

At noon, June 7th , at her home in Rhinebeck, there will be a memorial service for family and friends to celebrate her life beginning with a prayer offering conducted by Rev. Ian Dingwall, retired Anglican Archdeacon of Niagara, Ontario, Canada and Rev. Joseph Zorawick, retired Rector of Christ & St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Manhattan. Her ashes will be privately interred in West Sand Lake NY with the Rev. Ian Dingwall, officiating. There was a celebratory memorial service for her Florida friends on Feb. 13th conducted by the Rev. Mary Beth Wells, Deacon, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Delray Beach.

She is survived by her husband Herb; son Thomas Hendy Smith, Toronto, Canada; daughter Jean Talbot Manon (Smith) and her grand children, Scandinavia and Alexander (Merquito) Manon, Brooklyn, NY. Other survivors include her sister Jean C. Hendy, Clifton Park NY and cousins: Doris Hogle of West Sand Lake NY; Jim Hendy, Webster NY; Bill Ferguson, Queensbury NY and her 102-year-old aunt, Helen Ferguson, Queensbury, NY. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her name to: WILDERSTEIN PRESERVATION, P.O. Box 383, Rhinebeck, NY 12572.

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