On the evening of September 27th, 2015, Florence passed away peacefully in the loving embrace of her daughter and son and their spouses on the night of a rare Supermoon. Florence "Nana" was 96 years young.Florence Martha Stanislawski was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 28th, 1919. Florence was preceded in death by her husband Harold Smart, her brothers Franklin Stanley and Russell Stanley, her sister Bernice Watson and her son Steven Smart. She is survived by her daughter Susan Smart Kossack (Tom) of Elk Grove, her son Stuart Smart (Robin) of Danville, her grandchildren Catherine and Chris Kossack, and Ryan, Nicole and Parker Smart, her many loving nieces and nephews and her constant canine companion Rusty.
Florence grew up on a farm in Minnesota with her brothers and sister, loved the outdoors and was quite athletic, light and fast as the wind. She was very proud to earn her HS school letter in track. She loved to play baseball and taught her children to love and play the game too. Flo, a lifelong fan of the SF Giants, attended many games with her son, Steve, as a Giants booster.
After graduating from business school, steno and typing, Flo drove across country in 1941 with her sister to find work in Burbank as a typist. She could spell anything and was better than spell-check. She trained in the volunteer Civil Air Patrol in So Cal during WWII and enjoyed flying Piper Cubs up and down the coast doing 360's! She was an avid horseback rider in the Hollywood Hills with her steed Mack. Flo met the love of her life, Harold Smart, at a USO dance in 1941 (she loved to dance!) and they married after he returned from the war in 1945.
Flo loved her family more than anything else and always remembered everyone's birthday. A farm girl at heart, she had the greenest thumb ever and could grow anything. She moved to Sacramento in 1962 and worked for the DMV as a nymatic transcriber for many years. Flo survived bouts with cancer several times and lived an incredible 96 years with joy and love in her heart every day. Flo had a very funny sense of humor and shared her light heart with everyone she knew. She was the kindest, hardest working and strongest person and her family was blessed to have had her in their lives for so many years. She was proud to have five beautiful grand children who she loved very much. Florence was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.
Flo's family gives special thanks for the tender loving care and support of Maria Moncada, her Stanley nieces Janet, Carol and Terri, her nephew Bill and family friends Karen Provencher and Karen Kawelmacher. The family is also grateful to the many Kaiser doctors, nurses, staff and Hospice Team who cared for her especially her nurses Celeste and Linda.
SERVICES A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Nov. 14th at 11:00 am at St Peter's Lutheran Church in Elk Grove, reception immediately following at her daughter's home.
INTERMENT
Florence will be interned at Cherokee Memorial Park, Hwy 99 at Harney Lane, Lodi,CA 95240 with her husband and son. Donations can be made in Florence's name to the American Cancer Society or to the SPCA.