Mtn Grove, MO - Bill and Sally Smith, both 99, recently passed away in Mtn. Grove, Missouri: Sally on December 21 and Bill on December 28. Both lived in Northeast Ohio, until moving to Mtn. Grove, Missouri, in June of 2025 to be with their daughter, MaryBeth Kaps, and their son, Michael Smith, who both reside in Mtn. Grove, Missouri.

The fact they died a week apart is testimony to the love they shared for each other and their long marriage of 78 years. Both were long-time teachers in the Ashtabula, Ohio, public schools. Sally a second-grade teacher and Bill a high school teacher and coach of track and cross-country. After Bill retired from teaching in 1976, he purchased a 50-acre farm in Saybrook, eventually their farm was known as Smith Fruit Farm. Bill, Sally, and Sally's best friend, Patti Candela ran the farm which grew apples, peaches, and grapes. Bill finally retired farming in 2022 at the age of 96. The Candela family bought the farm and it remains in operation!

Bill served young men in Northeast Ohio as a head scout master for Boy Scouts of America for over 20 years (1960-1980). Sally was an innovative teacher and with the help of her friend Patti Candela, used team teaching and ability grouping to help hundreds of children learn to read in the Northeast Ohio area.

During the sixth months they lived in Mtn. Grove, Sally visited Bill almost every day at the Autumn Oaks Caring Center. Each day when she arrived, he told her she looked good and was so happy to see her. Bill shared that he fell in love with Sally as a fourth grader in Berea, Ohio (near Cleveland, Ohio), where they both grew up. In 1945 after graduating from high school, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Airforce and Sally worked at the General Motors Fisher Body Plant that was converted to a Bomber Plant. The plant among other things made components for the famous B-29 Bombers—the plane that delivered the atomic bombs in Japan to end the war.

Memorial Service for Bill and Sally will take place Friday, January 9, at 2 p.m. at Craig-Hurt Funeral Home in Mtn. Grove. The family is requesting no flowers; rather, give your donations to The Ashtabula Senior Center, (440) 998-6750, 4148 Main Ave., Ashtabula, OH 44004.

There is no live video feed for the memorial service, but you can tune in to the recorded service of Sally and Bill, Go to www.craighurttfuneralhome.com, find either Bill Smith or Sally Smith (you can type their name on the search box) and scroll down to the recorded funeral service. The recorded service will be available at least 24 hours (probably sooner) after the live event.