(Longtime Member Of First Christian Church)
Remembering a Life Lived With Enduring Strength, Dedication, Patience and Love.
LaDonna A. Smith, beloved family member and friend, passed away peacefully on March 5, at the age of 86 at Fountain Park Assisted Living and Memory Care in Bryan, leaving behind a legacy of enduring strength, dedication, patience and love.
LaDonna was born on March 29, 1939, in Toledo, Ohio to Mary Lucille Gray. Shortly after her birth she was adopted and lovingly raised by her parents, Dale and Frances Kyle, who provided her with a nurturing, devoted, generous and joyful home life.
LaDonna dedicated her life to her Heavenly Father, family, friends and her career, touching countless lives with her warmth and kindness. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Thomas D. Smith and her sister, Shari Saneda.
LaDonna is survived by and will be held close in the hearts of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Robin Smith and his loving partner, Leigh Wright, Laymia; Erica Lynn (Nick), Parker, Beckett; Kalin Curry (Aaron), Archer; Shawn Frandsen and husband John, Dane Frandsen (Michelle), Änders, Otto; Trace Frandsen (Paige), Clementine; and youngest son, Heath Smith. She is also remembered by her former daughter-in-law, Gwen Smith as well as many relatives, friends and loved ones who will forever remember her gentle spirit, enduring strength, dedication, patience and love.
LaDonna found joy in life’s simple pleasures — popcorn, Pepsi, anything peach flavored, playing video poker, planting flowers, and her favorite color, pastel pink. In 1991 she experienced one of her greatest joys in life when she found her sister Shari.
What began as a reunion soon blossomed into a deeper family connection, as Shari introduced LaDonna and her family to their extended circle of blood relatives, creating immediate loving bonds, and answering a lifetime of questions LaDonna had silently carried with her.
She had a deep love for animals and was known for rescuing and raising orphaned woodland animals, nurturing them until they were ready to return to nature. Her passion extended to all living things. An additional passion — or maybe a gift — was her organizational and compartmentalizing skills.
Bins, labels, color coordination, and symmetry were her specialty. Everything had its place and every item had a home. LaDonna took great pride in keeping a clean home; if a cookie crumb hit the floor, she seemed to anticipate it — within seconds, the Dust Buster would be fired up and poof, it was gone.
Yet she wouldn’t stop there; she would continue vacuuming the entire surrounding floor just to be sure. For years, her children and grandchildren teased her about it, even offering to make her a holster for her Dust Buster. Her keen attention to detail, along with her remarkable organizational skills, became invaluable assets throughout both her career and her daily life.
LaDonna built a long and dedicated career spanning more than four decades. From 1957 to 1960, she worked at the Campbell Soup Company in Napoleon, Ohio as a secretary and switchboard operator. From 1961 to 1967, she worked at Globe Weiss as a secretary and product designer.
In October 1967, LaDonna began what would become a distinguished career with Owens-Illinois in Toledo, Ohio, where she worked until June 2000. She began as an Administrative Assistant to the Vice President in the Plastics Division and later served as Administrative Assistant to the Executive Vice President of Finance in the Corporate Office.
During her time at Owens-Illinois, she also served as Manager of the company’s Corporate Contributions Program. LaDonna was actively involved in the company’s Onized Club, an organization formed in 1934 to promote friendship, loyalty and community among employees.
She was a woman of many talents and interests. LaDonna was a lifelong member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) where over the years, she served on different committees, supporting the Church, the members and the community.
Artistically gifted, LaDonna worked as a graphic designer during her earlier years and enjoyed drawing, painting, designing, and doodling. She was also musically inclined, playing the flute and piano and enjoyed singing.
In quieter moments, she was an aspiring writer and began an autobiography titled “Tragedies or Blessings” — a beautifully written reflection on the struggles and hardships she and her family faced.
In it, LaDonna challenged readers to look beyond tragedy and find the blessings hidden within life’s hardest moments. Though the memoir remained unfinished as dementia took hold and silenced the middle chapters of her story, those who knew her know how the story ultimately ended — with a life defined by perseverance, love and resilience.
LaDonna will be remembered for her creativity, determination, compassion, and the deep love she held for her family. Her legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
A visitation will be held at Edgar-Grisier Funeral Home of Wauseon on March 11, 2026, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Celebration of Life for LaDonna will be held at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) at 11 a.m., on Thursday, March 12, 2026, with Pastor Michael Doerr officiating. Interment will be held at Wauseon Union Cemetery immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Wauseon, Ohio or your local Humane Society, honoring LaDonna’s commitment to her faith and her love of animals.
The obituary for LaDonna was lovingly prepared by her family.