Francisco Smith

Francisco Smith’s obituary                  Jan 27, 2023

I regret to inform you that the love of my life, Francisco Smith, a most gentle and loving father and husband, has passed away from complications of diabetes, leaving this world for another realm, leaving us in his wake, leaving the clamor of life for the peace and tranquility of eternity. Francisco passed away quietly and peacefully in the early morning hours of Friday January 27, 2023.

Francisco A. Smith, the beloved son of Demetrio Smith and Maria Trujillo, was born at home on June 8, 1948 in Williams, Arizona. He was a middle child in a family of 11 boys and one girl, spending his early childhood in the Phoenix AZ area, and his high school and college years in San Gabriel, California. He attended Mark Keppel High School (class of 1966) and received his degree in photo journalism from East LA College (ELAC) in Southern California.

Francisco married his wife Paula in 1976. They enjoyed a full and joyful life together for 46 years, moving from funky Venice, California, to the then insular backwoods town of Seattle, Washington, in 1978. There Francisco started and successfully ran several small businesses providing offset printing and photographic print services. His last and most rewarding business was a custom art framing business and art gallery. A talented craftsman, he had an eye for combining art pieces perfectly with frames that complemented each other to create the ”wow” effect when revealed to his customers. Francisco was a very social and outgoing person who enjoyed talking to the variety of customers who came in, and he made many lasting friendships through his businesses.

Francisco and his wife raised two beautiful sons, Manuel and Jesse, while living on Vashon Island just 15 minutes by ferry from cosmopolitan Seattle, and later in the suburb of West Seattle. The family enjoyed traveling to destinations in the US and abroad. Annually Francisco would visit his brother in Honolulu, Hawaii, and over many summers enjoyed family reunions in Show Low and St Johns, Arizona, where his mother and many of his siblings made their home.  There his parents Maria and Demetrio had lived as part of a multi-generational lineage from Spain and Northern Arizona dating back to the 1800s.

Francisco reluctantly retired in 2017 from his art and framing business. Tired of the “big dark” of Seattle winters, they decided to resettle in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the sun shines bright and the sky is blue. He loved the Southwest, coming home to his roots, and enjoyed his retirement days relaxing on his deck, touring scenic spots around the state, and savoring the unique cuisine of Northern New Mexico. He enjoyed cooking with the chili of Socorro and Hatch, and studied and embraced Buddhist philosophy.

Francisco is survived by his wife Paula, his sons Manuel (Kate) and Jesse. We welcome fond memories from family and friends on our online guest book for Francisco at Riverafamilyfuneralhome.com

A Memorial Service with his ashes will take place at Rivera Family Funeral Home on Sunday, February 12, 2023 at 12:00pm.417 Rodeo Rd. Santa Fe, NMPlease RSVP to Manuel206-963-3822