Dorothy Elaine Smith

Dorothy Elaine Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 20th, 1956, to Eulilia Smith & Charles Smith Sr. She was the 3rd of 4 children. The others are Charles Smith (deceased), Marguerite Smith whom we all know as Susie & Edna “Big E” Smith (deceased). For a big part of her childhood Elaine was taken care of by her grandmother Willar Powell & assisted by her aunt Charlene. She was a very sharp student & even skipped a grade in elementary school. Her grandmother saw something special in her & spent extra time with her in the kitchen while teaching Elaine how to bake desserts, from scratch. Though a wiz in the kitchen, she was also very tough “for a girl” and was often a protector against anyone who picked on her siblings. When Elaine was a teenager, the family lived in the Robert Taylor Homes located on 43rd & Federal in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago. She attended Lindblom Technical High School for which she had to pass an entrance exam to be accepted. During this same time period, she began dating Johnny Richard aka Sonny (deceased) whom she went on to have 5 children by. Those children were: Johnny Edward Smith (deceased), Jason Eric Smith (deceased), Justin Elliot Smith, Jakita Erin Smith (now Joy) & Jocelyn Elizabeth Smith. Although the couple never married, they lived together for many years & became great friends once they separated. Sonny would visit Elaine almost every day, bringing her favorite foods while she read his mail to him & helped him to do other tasks. They loved & trusted each other very much…still! Elaine worked for the U.S. Census Bureau, in her younger years, and she was a popular Avon saleswoman. She went door to door while building up a faithful client list. She would often take her son, Justin, with her while delivering orders to women across the city. Elaine was an honest person who was filled with good intentions but was limited by mental health issues. Her sister, Marguerite & their aunt, Charlene helped tremendously with her oldest children but unfortunately her youngest two girls ended up in the care of people outside of the family. Elaine was reunited with her daughter, Jakita, after 20 plus years, when Justin found her through an adoption service. Elaine had never given up hope and when the 2 met in person, it was a moment of high emotion & restored faith. Fortunately, Jakita (now Joy) ended up with a great woman, Pastor Patrice B. Smith who provided a loving & supportive environment. Elaine faced some physical health issues and spent her final years at Ambassador Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. There, Elaine, or Miss Dorothy to them, built friendships & bonds with many residents & staff, throughout the years. The nurses described her as very kind & say that she will be truly missed. Dorothy Elaine Smith leaves behind 3 children, at least 11 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, 1 sister, nephews & an extremely special group of nieces, whom she loved very much!

Dorothy Elaine Smith

July 20, 1956 - February 25, 2023