Obituary of Jeanne Smith

JEANNE CESSNA SMITH 1920 - 2011 On May 6, 2011, our mother, Jeanne Smith, passed away at the age of 90. She was born in Sparks, NV in 1920 to Geraldine and Mark Cessna. As the daughter of a Civil Engineer for the State of California, she lived most of her life in California. During high school and her years at the University of California, San Diego, she studied voice. By the age of 19, she was considered an accomplished dramatic soprano. In 1940, Jeanne married our father, George Seabrook Wing, inventor of the Hi Shear Rivet. They lived in Southern California. As a young couple, they settled down in Hermosa Beach. Later, they moved their family to Palo Verdes. During WWII, Jeanne managed to save one thousand dollars in savings bonds. That was the seed money that enabled our Dad to start the Hi Shear Rivet & Tool Company. During their marriage, Jeanne was a busy homemaker and mother of four children. In 1965, Jeanne married Alvin L. Smith. They lived in many places throughout the United States, but they always went back to Pebble Beach. They enjoyed travel and golf. After the death of her second husband, Jeanne moved to Chico to be closer to her eldest daughter, son, and grandchildren. Jeanne had many interests that included literature, history, politics, music and art. Throughout her life though, her real passion was art and painting. She has left a treasure of wonderful sketches, watercolor and oil paintings to her children and grandchildren. Jeanne was a parishioner of St. John's Catholic Church. She is survived by her four children, Suzanne Dawson (Hal), Judi Wing, Zola Wheeler (Gary), George Cessna Wing (Joan); six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. We would like to thank Michael Lang and the staff at Townsend House and Monterey House for the kindness and care they gave to our Mom. A Funeral Mass will be conducted on Tuesday, May 31, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at the Newman Center, located at 346 Cherry St. in Chico.