July 6, 1937 – January 22, 2026
Norita Ann Smith, 88, of Manly, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at Country Meadow Place in Mason City, following a ten-year battle with dementia.
Per her wishes, cremation has taken place, and services are pending with Bride Colonial Chapel in Manly, Iowa and will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please direct donations to Country Meadows Place in Mason City, IA.
Norita was born on July 6, 1937, in St. Petersburg, Florida, the daughter of Frank Goerke and Doris (Witt) Goerke. She attended Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, where she was an accomplished athlete, playing both basketball and volleyball. Her talent and dedication earned her recognition as “Female Athlete of the Year,” with a page dedicated to her in the school yearbook. She graduated in 1955.
While still in St. Petersburg, Norita met Gary Smith on the beach, an encounter that would shape the rest of her life. The couple was united in marriage on August 27, 1956. To their union, three children were born, and together they shared 69 years of marriage devoted to family, partnership, and love.
Following their marriage, Norita and Gary made their home in Mankato before settling in Manly. Throughout the years, Norita worked in a variety of roles, including clerical work in finance, dedicating more than ten years as a homemaker raising her family, and later as a radiology transcriptionist in Mason City, where she worked for several years before retiring.
Norita loved staying active. She and Gary enjoyed golfing, traveling, and in their retirement years, taking cruises together. An excellent golfer, she was also a proud member of a women’s golf group. She was exceptionally crafty and a master seamstress, mending her children’s clothes and creating quilts for herself, her family, and her church.
A devoted and lifelong member of Bethel United Methodist Church in Manly, Norita was active in her church community, helping with lunches, creating quilts for fundraisers, and welcoming residents from the neighboring nursing facility to attend services.
Norita was known for her bubbly, energetic personality and good sense of humor. She had a soft soul, a big heart, and a fiercely protective love for her family. Above all else, she cherished her children and grandchildren.
Norita is survived by her loving husband, Gary Smith; children, Scott (Amy) Smith, Grant (Kymari) Smith, and Rhonda (Dave) Bruxvoort; grandchildren, Cameron (Carissa), Rachel, Conner, Dillon (Jess), Samson, Max, and Jack; great-grandchildren, Julia and Dawson; niece, Karen Wornicki, Smith nieces and nephews as well as many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Doris Goerke; parents-in-law, Harry and Margaret (Hawkins) Smith; sisters, Elaine Wornicki and Eleanor (Frank) Groomes; siblings-in-law, Jack, Robert, Barbara, Betty, Donald, and Mona; and niece, Theresa Holly.
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