Kathleen "Kathy" Nesbitt Smith moved quite a bit throughout her life. On November 23, 2025 Kathy moved one last time – to heaven.

Kathy passed away peacefully in Georgetown, TX, following a lengthy illness. She was 82.

Born Dec. 5, 1942, in Long Beach, CA, Kathy grew up in Corpus Christi, TX, where she attended WB Ray High School. She went on to attend Gulf Park College for Women in Gulfport, MS, and the University of North Texas in Denton, TX, before marrying Dan Smith of Tyler, TX.

Dan Smith initially was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy and later went on to work as an executive for Southwestern Bell. This meant Kathy lived in a variety of places, from San Diego and San Francisco to Scotch Plains, NJ, and St. Louis, MO, before settling in San Antonio, TX.

Along the way, Kathy had three children, Julie, Laurie and Keith, and she stayed very busy volunteering for a host of initiatives that supported her family and the communities in which the family lived. She was president of the Naval Officers Club, Program Director of the Beaumont Garden Club and a Red Cross Nurse's Aide. She also found time to serve as a team mother for all three children, as well as a teacher's helper and a Girl Scout Leader.

She was always busy. As the children got older, she sang with the renowned San Antonio Mission Belles Chorus. It was a very demanding commitment, with long and frequent rehearsals and a busy performance schedule. But all the hard work paid off in 1979, when the Mission Belles won an international chorus competition in Los Angeles, CA.

While in San Antonio, Kathy acquired her real estate license and went on to sell residential real estate in that city for more than 35 years.

But even that busy career did not prevent Kathy from continuing to volunteer in her community. In the late 80s and early 90s, she volunteered as a scorekeeper for PGA and Senior PGA events in San Antonio.

By 2000, Kathy had retired from the real estate business and her volunteer work slowed.  And by 2017, health issues threatened the active lifestyle she craved.

But in 2018, Kathy's life took another interesting turn, and she moved again. This time, she pulled up stakes and moved to Sun City, a bustling retirement community in Georgetown and then the nearby Grand Living retirement complex in 2021. It was at Grand Living that Kathy thrived, busying herself with fun activities and experiencing the joy of wonderful friends and staff.

She loved competing in ax-throwing competitions and beanbag baseball. She loved these activities so much that on one occasion, when daughter Laurie reminded her of a scheduled doctor's appointment, Kathy was very worried that the appointment would conflict with a beanbag baseball tournament in which she had planned to compete. If there had been a conflict, of course the doctor's appointment would have had to have been rescheduled.

One activity Kathy particularly enjoyed at the Grand was watercolor class. Because of that class, Kathy discovered she loved to paint. And she was good at it. During a recent visit to her apartment, one of her sons-in-law marveled at a small painting of a roadrunner in Kathy's office. When he looked to see which artist signed the pretty watercolor, he was surprised to see it had been signed by Kathy.

Living at the Grand was one of the happiest times in Kathy's life. The staff and residents there became her second family. And she truly cherished each relationship she acquired while living there.

Kathy was predeceased by her parents, Delores Marie and Frank W. Nesbitt of Corpus Christi, and an infant daughter, Kathleen Marie Smith. She is survived by daughters Julie Canty (Patrick), Laurie Rhyne (Burt), Keith Smith (Samantha), five grandsons, Sam Canty, Ryan and Preston Bain, Karsten and Cameron Smith, and five great grandchildren. "They have been my greatest accomplishment and blessing," she once proudly proclaimed. In addition to her family, Kathy is so thankful for her lifelong friends, Sandra and Al Eyster.

Kathy and the family would also like to extend special thanks to aide Kathy from Magnolia Hospice and the Magnolia Hospice team for the exceptional help and care they provided.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either St. Jude's Hospital or the charity of one's choice.