Celia Smart Memorial
Celia Smart, 86, was born in Middlesbrough, England, as the eldest of 4 sisters. They were raised during WWII with a turbulent childhood. Later Celia trained and joined the British Army as a Lieutenant in the Royal Nursing Corps. She met her husband E. Colin Smart, MD, at Queen Alexandra Military Hospital on the surgery ward and they were married on November 12, 1958. They moved to the United States in 1967 to Tioga, ND, and settled into an American lifestyle including a cattle ranch - where Celia would roll up her sleeves and get dirty. As a licensed pilot she flew patients to larger cities. Later she took an accelerated evening nursing program to receive her U.S. nursing degree, while working full-time and raising her children. Also, she took classes to learn to sculpt, draw and paint in all mediums.
By the 1970s, the family became official U.S. Citizens and moved to Chandler, AZ, where Colin joined a large medical practice and Celia went to work in surgery at Mesa Lutheran Hospital Dr. Smart was the Chief Medical Officer at Chandler Regional Medical Center for many years, while Celia loved the team and was heavily involved in the fundraising for and opening of both Chandler Regional and Mercy Gilbert Medical Centers. Celia also worked as a School Nurse at Erie Elementary School, as a nurse for husband’s practice, and she wrote and taught the Nurses’ Aide program at Pima Medical Institute in the 1990s.
Celia was very talented and giving, yet her passions were her family, gardening, traveling, her pets, and feeding the birds. If you knew Celia, you would have called her Mrs. Smart! She is loved and will be deeply missed by all who knew her, including many staff members at the hospitals.
Celia is preceded in death by her husband, E. Colin Smart, her parents and her sister, Janet. She is survived by two sisters, and her children, Nick, Julia (Tom), Helen, and James. Also, her beloved grandchildren, Veronica, Andrew, Michael and Wilson, and her nieces and nephews in England. She passed May 6th surrounded by her family and their services will be private.
In honor of her love of gardening and love for Chandler Regional Medical Center, please consider a memorial donation in her name to the new healing garden. Your gift will be acknowledged and a note sent to the family, unless you choose to remain anonymous. You may learn more about her at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/chandler-az/celia-smart-9173217.
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