Sheila Raye Smith

Sheila Raye Smith, age 48, of Tippecanoe, and formerly of New Philadelphia, died Saturday morning in Aultman Hospital at Canton following a sudden illness. Born at Dover, March 12, 1958, Sheila was a daughter of Harold “Tex” White of New Philadelphia and the late Betty Edwards White. She was a 1976 graduate of New Philadelphia High School.Following high school, Sheila went to work at Park Village Health Care Center as a nurses’ aide. She was a gifted caregiver, and was well liked by her co-workers and the residents alike. In 1986, she met Butch Smith, a guy who played in a band with her older brother. The pair was nearly inseparable, and married during the blizzard of April 4, 1987 at New Philadelphia. The newlyweds relocated to South Carolina where they resided for a few years. Hurricane Hugo, then a series of other tropical storms left Sheila and Butch pining for Ohio. Upon their return to Ohio, they settled at Zoar before realizing Sheila’s dream of operating a small farm. They moved to Tippecanoe where she quickly assembled a menagerie Â? naming all of her animals, caring for them, and living her life’s dream to care for nature’s creatures. For her extraordinary efforts in caring for her animals, she became known by her family as “The Incredible Mimi.” She taught her grandsons a lot about raising animals, and always took the time to make Christmas morning special for her family by tending to an excellent Christmas Morning Breakfast. In addition to her husband Butch, and father Tex, Sheila leaves behind a daughter, Michelle White of Tippecanoe, two grandsons, Brandon and Quinton White, also of Tippecanoe. A sister, Joanne, Boston of Canton, brothers Butch (wife Norma) White, and Warren E. White, all of New Philadelphia, mother in law, Anna Smith of Hartville, Ohio, brother-in-law Jeff (wife Missy) Smith of Hartville, sister-in-law Debbie Smith of Canton, and sister-in-law Cheri (husband George) Leininger of Akron, as well as numerous nieces and nephews complete the family. Friends are invited to call Wednesday evening from 6 PM until 7 PM in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home, at New Philadelphia where the Rev. Hugh B. Berry will lead a memorial service at 7PM Wednesday. Following the service, family and friends will gather for a desert reception in the Geib Family Center, adjacent to the funeral home at New Philadelphia. The family requests that any memorial contributions be made to the Sheila Smith memorial fund, established at any First Merit Bank.