Obituary of Ursula Marie Brath Smith

Ursula Marie Brath Smith March 8th, 1945- November 13th, 2021. Ursula Marie Smith, 76, passed away on Nov. 13, 2021, at the Powder Springs Nursing Home and Rehab Facility in Georgia. Born Ursula Brath on March 8, 1945, in Leipa Czechoslovakia, she was the daughter of Marta Hocke and Kurt Brath. She became a United States citizen in 1966. Before moving to Lake Placid, she started her family in Union City, New Jersey, where she attended high school. She married her best friend, John Bruce Smith (predeceased in 2011), of Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1990 and together they resided in their beloved chalet-style home nestled in the Adirondacks of New York. Ursula enjoyed traveling the world and soaking up the simple pleasures of life such as gardening, reading, volleyball, crocheting, dancing, sewing, cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Ursula especially loved collecting and gifting teddy bears to her grandchildren as an expression of her love. She took great pride in her wildflower garden, feeding hummingbirds, and observing the beauty of the Adirondacks landscapes and mountains. Ursula extended her pride as a U.S. citizen by flying the American flag from her home and working as an interpreter during bobsled and luge events at Mount Van Hoevenberg. She especially loved the unification of different countries during the Olympic Winter Games. Ursula is survived by her beloved sister-in-law Betty Harrington and husband Paul; eldest daughter and caregiver Theresa Menard and husband Dwayne; daughters Irene (Riedl and husband Lance Sawyer, and Susan Riedl and husband Ken Whitelaw; stepson John Smith and wife Sonya; son Thomas M. Riedl (predeceased in 2012); grandchildren Jocelyn, Tara, Austin, Wyatt, Lyle, Selena, Matoaka, Kurt, Merritt, Aidan and Keegan; great-grandchildren Paxton and Carson; and first cousin Peter Hocke and wife Elfriede of Hannover, Germany. Funeral arrangements will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Diabetes Foundation atdiabetes.org or the American Heart Association at heart.org. In honor of Ursula's memory, the family will be collecting new teddy bears to donate to local organizations for children.