Alma Seely Smith passed into glory on July 27,2010 at the Covenant Village Care Center in Plantation, Florida.

Alma was born October 10, 1915, in Milford, Delaware and grew up in Greenwood, Delaware on the Seely family farm.

Alma was the second daughter of George Frederick and Florence Seely. She helped with chores like feeding her mother's chickens as a young child and then worked beside a menagerie of brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and neighbors in the family cannery. There she was greatly appreciated for her abundant energy and willingness to help accomplish the tasks at hand. Many have benefitted from this quality over the years as Alma held the office of secretary in her high school junior and senior classes and worked at numerous volunteer positions in her church and community.

Alma played sports both in high school and college. Alma graduated from Bridgeville High School in 1932 and from the University of Delaware with a Bachelors Degree in 1936. Then in 1959, Alma received a Master's Degree in Education in Guidance Counseling. Alma started her teaching career by teaching home economics and serving as the director of the cafeteria in Dover Junior-Senior High School. She fulfilled this position in the Dover School District for two years and then moved to the Milford School District in Milford, Delaware, where she served in the same positions. Next she went to Laurel High School and taught Biology and Home Economics. At this point on August 15, 1942, Alma married Frank Smith and stopped teaching as women did in the 1940's. When Frank went to fight in WWII, Alma moved in with his parents and went to work for 17 months as a Sussex County Home Demonstration agent. Next she supported the war effort by working as a lab technician at Cannon's in Bridgeville, Delaware. In 1954, after Frank's discharge, they built a home in Laurel and Alma returned to teaching in the Laurel School District. This time she served as a guidance counselor and stayed through 1963. In 1963, Alma moved to Seaford School District where she worked with a team of guidance counselors to help high school students plan and achieve their educational goals. She was named the Counselor of the Year for her hard work and student support while at Seaford High School. During her working career, Alma was a member of the following professional and community organizations: National Education Association (NEA), Delaware State Education Association (DSEA), Personal and School Guidance Association, Kiwanis Club KIWI and various church related groups.

Alma and Frank worked and lived as a wonderful team as they built a home in Laurel, Delaware in 1954, but later sold it and moved to a farm in Woodland where they built another home and named it "Villa Westfield" in honor of the area where Frank served during WWII.

Numerous nieces and nephews were enriched as we were able to share in Alma's life. She always had time for us and fed us from a marvelous supply of home-made ice cream that she and Frank kept on hand. -- The supply never slipped below two gallons and the flavors were ever changing.

After retirement, Alma and Frank bought a home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida near Frank's family. When Frank passed in 1982, Alma became a snow bird and volunteered at Holy Cross Hospital where she received many commendations for her many years of faithful service until 1998 when she sold her home and moved to Covenant Village.

She will be greatly missed, yet we rejoice in her precious transition into her future with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A Funeral Service will be held at the Hannigan, Short, Disharoon Funeral Home 700 West St. Laurel, DE 19956 on Saturday at 11:00 am, wher a viewing will be held one hour prior. The Pastor Ken Deusa will officiate. Interment will follow in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Laurel.

(07/29/10)