Margaret Jean Smith

Margaret Jean Smith

Margaret Jean Heg Smith, loving mother, grandmother, educator and writer, died peacefully on Aug. 6, 2025 at her home in Issaquah, Wash.

Jean was born on Sept. 8, 1934, in Everett, Wash., the youngest of five children born to Anna and Henry Heg. She spent her grade-school years in Everett, and later moved with her parents to Seattle, where she graduated from Lincoln High School. She attended Seattle University and then graduated from Washington State University, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honors society, and met her future husband, Raymond Smith.

They married in 1956, and the couple spent their early years together in Palo Alto, California, where their three oldest children were born. The family relocated to Omaha, Neb., had their fourth child, and then moved to Ashland, Ore. before settling in Ellenburg, Wash. in the mid-1960s.

In Ellensburg, Jean balanced the demands of being a mom with her full-time career as an English teacher at Ellensburg High School. She managed to earn her master’s degree from Central Washington University during those busy years as well.

She was an adventurous soul. After her children graduated from high school, she participated in a year-long teaching exchange that took her to Lowestoft, England. After her marriage ended and she had retired, she joined the Peace Corps, serving in Morocco. There she met Ahmed El Kabouss, whom she married upon returning to the United States. They parted amicably after five years together.

She loved traveling, and enjoyed trips with her children in recent years to Ireland, Las Vegas, Hawaii and other fun places. In the years just after her Peace Corps stint, she divided her time between Ellensburg, and Daytona Beach, Fla., where two of her sisters lived. She had many friends throughout her life, and she was especially close to her three sisters and her brother.

She was a faithful Catholic and a staunch Democrat. And she was passionate about education. It brought her particular joy that all of her four children and her eight grandchildren graduated from college, all with plenty of support from her. She was a lifelong learner and avid reader, always generous with inspired recommendations of books she loved. And she loved watching and recommending good television shows and movies, especially those she’d seen on PBS and BritBox.

She moved to Providence Point in Issaquah in 2014, where she became active in a writing group that kept her artistically motivated. She joined a new writing group after she moved to University House retirement community three years ago. In 2024, she published her memoir, “No Time to Lose,” a collection of beautiful essays penned during her time in those groups.  She dedicated the book to her parents, “who supported and encouraged me in all my hopes and dreams, even when they worried.” Each of her own children would say the same of her.

The first chapter of her book is titled “What I’ll Miss When I’m Gone.” She wrote: “My family, of course. More than anything. All the books I haven’t read… Travel. Fresh air, sunshine, rain, clouds, snow, the mountains, babies, children, young people, old people. Animals, birds, creatures of all sorts. All that my senses offer me: the colors, shapes, fragrances, voices, music, flavors, textures, warmth and chill.”

She added: “I’ll be sorry to leave National Public Radio behind, especially ‘Fresh Air,’ with Terry Gross’s interviews and the marvelous book reviews from Maureen Corrigan.”

Jean was preceded in death by her parents and beloved siblings, Jim, Katie, Bee and Mary. She is survived by her brother-in-law, Richard Smith; her children, Theresa Johnson (Dave Knadler), Nathan Smith (Amy), Buddy Smith (Brenda) and Molly Pavia (Bob); her grandchildren, Caryn, Erik, Risa, Frankie, Kyle, Ethan, Emily and Betsy; and five great-grandchildren, Marcie, Ellie, Levi, June and Nathan, as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family is grateful for the care Jean received from the staff at University House in her final days, and the excellent programs and services she enjoyed while she lived there. A funeral mass will be held on Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Ellensburg, followed by burial of ashes at a later date at Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to your local public broadcasting station, or to any organization that protects the environment or supports those in need.