Aleta Dorothy Day Smith, BHS 1945

Aleta Dorothy Day Smith
July 25, 1927 - Feb 4, 2019 

Aleta Dorothy Day Smith was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on July 25, 1927 to Lowell and Edith Day. At age five the family moved to California, where Aleta spent the rest of her life. She attended John Burroughs Jr. High and Burbank High School in Burbank and earned an AA from UCLA. In her early teens she began to attend Burbank First Presbyterian Church, where she heard the gospel and committed her life to the Lord Jesus Christ, whom she served faithfully all her life. There she also met Martin “Jiggs” Smith, her lifelong partner. They married in 1949. They subsequently moved to La Puente, where they raised their children: Carolyn, Lowell, and Rhonda. The family attended St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church together, where Aleta served as a deacon, an elder, and a Sunday school teacher. She influenced many young people to become faithful in their walk with Christ.

Aleta worked as a teacher’s aide in special education at the junior high level in the Hacienda-La Puente Unified School District until retirement. In 2009 Martin and Aleta moved back to Burbank when Martin and rejoined Burbank First Pres. Together Jiggs and Aleta enjoyed square dancing, first with the Funsters in West Covina and later with the Western Weavers here in Burbank. They traveled to several conventions and always encouraged new dancers. They also enjoyed traveling to many interesting places during retirement, such as Alaska, Cache Creek, Oklahoma, and Death Valley. In late 2010 Martin passed on to Glory. Aleta continued to be active, serving as a deacon from 2012 to December 2018. She continued to square dance also until three weeks before her home going. She was very friendly and always reached out to newcomers.

Aleta had other talents, too. She sewed clothes for her children and their dolls and Christmas ornaments. She also did beautiful cake decorating to the delight of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She was an amazing cook and taught her family about good nutrition and the virtues of homemade fare.

Aleta is survived by her children, Carolyn, Lowell, and Rhonda and their spouses. She also leaves seven grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.

We will all miss Aleta’s smile and her kind ways, but we are sure she is having a wonderful time with Our Lord Jesus and all her friends and family who preceded her, and we dare to believe that she and Jiggs are once again dancing together in heaven. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11 AM, Mar 30th at First Presbyterian Church of Burbank, 521 E. Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91501. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the USO, Burbank First Presbyterian Church, or your favorite charity.