Joan Ray Smith

August 28, 2025

Joan Ray Smith, age 96, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the Hope Springs Nursing Home in Sharon Springs, Kansas. She was born on March 28, 1929, in Doon, Iowa, to Ralph and Alice Kloek Ray. Joan graduated in 1947 from Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where she was One Of The Children of the Manhattan Project, and went on to earn her degree from Iowa State University in 1951. That same year, she married Joe Edwards Smith and moved to Tribune, Kansas, where together they built a life centered on family and farming.
Joan’s artistic spirit touched nearly every aspect of her life. She found joy in pottery, painting, silversmithing, photography, and gardening, and she eagerly embraced early technology. For several years, she operated her own pottery and art studio, sharing her creativity with others. Devoted to her family, Joan served as a den mother for the local Cub Scouts and took pride in supporting her children and grandchildren in their many endeavors. She was also a member of the local dance club, where she loved to spend time with friends. Those who knew her best will remember her gift for bringing people together—she delighted in hosting gatherings filled with laughter, conversation, and warmth.
Joan is survived by her four sons: Mark and Cindy Smith of Wallace, Kansas; Brett and Carol Smith of Hemphill, Texas; A. Bradford and Jennifer Smith of Sharon Springs, Kansas; and Ray Smith of Sharon Springs, Kansas. She was the proud grandmother of eleven: Angela Smith and Valarie Smith of Garden City, Kansas; Meghan Smith and Matthew Ghiloni of Erie, Colorado; Andy and Valerie Sweet of Commerce City, Colorado; Ben and Jackie Sweet of Erie, Colorado; Taylor Sprinkle and Aaron James of Denver, Colorado; Corbin Smith of Sharon Springs, Kansas; Preston Smith of Sharon Springs, Kansas; David and Alicia Allen of Tribune, Kansas; Nick and Karsten Smith of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lindy, and Austin Kumbera of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her legacy continues with her eight great-grandchildren: Natalie, Ryan (Andy), Ashlynn, Aiden, Anderson, Avery (Meghan), Abigail (Alicia) and Marcus (Lindy.)
She was preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband Joe, and her sisters Joyce Lawrence, Jean Laury, and Jackie Vermeer, her daughter-in-law, Lauri (Ray), and great-granddaughter, Blaze (Taylor).
A celebration of Joan’s life will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. (MDT) at the Pleasant Valley Ranch in Wallace, Kansas. The family will later hold a private burial at the Greeley County Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the “Greeley - Wallace Health Care Foundation” in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 161, Leoti, Kansas, 67861.
Joan will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, whose creativity, generosity, and warmth touched all who knew her.