Mary Waznis Smelling, of Port Angeles, died after a short illness on August 27, 2019. Mary was born in Rumford, Maine, on April 12, 1927, the fourth of six children of Frank (Sr.) and Antonia Waznis.

Mary spent her early years on her family's farm near Rumford. Although her family endured much hardship during the depression, particularly after the early death of her father, she fondly remembered helping raise cows, pigs, and geese on the farm.

Her mother and father had both come to the United States from Lithuania, and were part of a small community of Lithuanian immigrants in Rumford. Mary took pride in her heritage, and in later years she took pleasure in reciting folk songs and cooking Lithuanian dishes she remembered from her childhood.

When Mary and her two youngest sisters were about to enter high school, her mother moved the family into Rumford, where Mary graduated from Stephens High School in 1945.

Mary worked as a telephone operator in Maine and New Jersey before enlisting in the Navy in 1952. She served as a nursing assistant in Astoria, Oregon, and Bremerton until her honorable discharge in 1956.

At age 29, Mary then matriculated at Western Washington College of Education (now University) on the GI Bill, where she graduated in 1961.

While at Western, Mary met Robert Smelling. They married on March 3, 1962, and spent 54 years together until Robert died in 2016.

Mary taught in Edmonds and Neah Bay before leaving the profession to raise their two sons, Donald and Curtis, who were born in 1963 and 1964.

Mary and Robert moved the family to Port Angeles in 1967, where she resided for the rest of her life.

Mary had been a devoted Catholic from her early years, and became a parishioner at Queen of Angels Church in Port Angeles. Her faith and devotion remained the central focus of her life.

She was a familiar sight walking around Port Angeles. Until the last few years of her life, she walked wherever in town she had business, and also in the trails and roads outside of town. She especially enjoyed venturing out to pick blackberries. She also loved to hike in Olympic National Park and behold the wonder of nature.

Mary gardened enthusiastically until her later years, growing berries, rhubarb, and, above all, flowers. She was particularly fond of irises, and at one time raised several dozen varieties.

She was an accomplished seamstress who sewed most of her own dresses. She also tatted prolifically, creating many beautiful doilies.

Mary wrote hundreds of pages of recollections about her life, and enjoyed reading them aloud. She sought to write her stories with unadorned honesty.

Mary is survived by two sisters, Helen Heath of Pickens, South Carolina, and Anthonine Carter of Mountain Rest, South Carolina; and two sons, Donald (Christina) Schmelling of Port Angeles and Curtis (Lawanna Holmes) Schmelling of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; and three siblings, Josephine Tutlis of Dixfield, Maine, Anne Blank (her twin) of New York City, and Frank (Jr.) Waznis of Rumford, Maine.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held September 4 at 11 AM at Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Port Angeles.

Drennan & Ford Funeral Home in Port Angeles is entrusted with her arrangements. Please sign the online guestbook for her family at www.drennanford.com .