Obituary of Marie Smith

 Marie (DeGiglio) Smith, a longtime Willingboro resident and devoted member of the Corpus Christi Church, passed into eternal life Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018 surrounded by family members while under the loving care of Samaritan Healthcare & Hospice in Mount Holly. She was 87.

 Born in Brooklyn, Marie arrived in South Jersey with her late husband Alfred E. Smith shortly after the couple was married in 1958. Al and Marie moved into Hawthorne Park in Willingboro a few years later and were among the first members of Corpus Christi Church, which opened in the spring of 1959.

 Marie had worked for Dun & Bradstreet and Bell Labs before her marriage, but once she married and moved to South Jersey she became a tireless volunteer while also raising seven children (four boys and three girls).

 She volunteered with the Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary, the St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia, the Corpus Christi religious article shop, the Corpus Christi Altar Rosary Society; bingo nights at the Knights of Columbus in Willingboro and at Corpus Christi, Meals on Wheels, Virtua Health, Mothers of Twins Club and the Willingboro Garden Club. She also visited nursing homes around the area. Marie was the Willingboro Woman of the Year in 1980.

 Marie's volunteer work at Corpus Christi was legendary. A former priest at the parish – Father Stanley Lukaszewski – once said he was asked by a woman from another parish during a shopping trip if he belonged to Marie's parish. Father Stas laughed at the memory while speaking at an event honoring Marie's husband Al.

 Marie was also an extraordinary cook, a trait she passed along to all seven of her children. Italian delights and a few extra pounds were always in abundance on her holiday kitchen table. She also worked for Cauthen's Catererers and her son Kenneth's catering business, which served the Knights of Columbus in Delran.

 Marie's family was her greatest love.She is survived by her seven children: son Alfred (Ginny), daughter Geralyn Veasey (Charles), daughter Francine Brookover (Robert), daughter Gerise Carter (Michael), twin sons Gerard (Lawrence) and Stephen, and son Kenneth (Lisa). She also had 15 grandchildren: Stephanie, Lauren (Noble), Christina, Connor, Justine, Ryan, Charles, Jenna, Michael, Kelly, Jake, Daniel, Luke, Brian and Megan.

 The family would like to thank Marie's aides, Bintu and Juliana, for their loving and dedicated service during her long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

 Liturgy of Christian burial will be celebrated Wednesday, February 28,2018 10:30am at the Corpus Christi R.C. Church,11 South Sunset Road, Willingboro,NJ. Relatives and friends may call Wednesday Morning, 8am - 10am at the Goes - Scolieri Funeral Home, 212 Levitt Pkwy, Willingboro, NJ. Interment : Brig.Gen.Wm.C.Doyle Veteran Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown,NJ.In lieu of flowers,memorial donations are requested  to the St. Francis Inn,  Philadelphia, Pa,  C/O : Sister Robert Marie Green at 71 Sylvan Lane, Willingboro, N.J., 08046. Memories and condolences may be shared at www.goesscolierifuneralhome.com