Dorothy Smith entered the gates of heaven on October 17, 2026. Jesus welcomed her into his kingdom on a beautiful autumn day. As beautiful as that day was, Dorothy’s new home is a place whose beauty far exceeds anything we can conceive of on this earth. Dorothy was born to Robert and Dorothy Powell on October 12, 1947, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. She is survived by her loving husband and caregiver, Rodney Smith; son, Robert “Boo” Thompson (Tracie Howard); her “white daughter”, Rebecca “Bec” Steinhauser; cherished granddaughter, TeAnna “Te” Thompson; and grandsons Jaylin Thompson, Tyresse Thompson, and Caleb Goodemote. She was predeceased by her parents; brother, Robert “Skippy” Howell; first husband, Jeffrey Thompson Sr.; sister, Carolyn Martin; son, Jeffrey Thompson Jr.; and daughter, Mercedes “Merc” Thompson.

Dorothy was a woman of many names. While she was born with the name Dorothy, her grandfather, George “Pops” Robinson, nicknamed her “Kandi”. Pops called her Kandi because Dorothy reminded him of an actress by that name. But it’s also rather fitting that the woman with such a sweet tooth was known as Kandi, even if it isn’t spelled the same way. Dorothy was known as Emma to Bec and many others. She was known as “Toots” to her granddaughter, Te.

Whatever name Dorothy happened to be addressed by her personality was the same. The perfect blend of strong, sassy, soft, and sweet. Dorothy had a steely exterior at times, but on the inside she had a heart of gold. She was an extremely hard worker. One of her first jobs as a teenager was babysitting for the children of the Dad’s Dogfood Company CEO. She started working as the manager of the maintenance unit at Jamestown General Hospital in 1972. In this job, she supervised a group of men, some of whom were not happy about taking orders from a woman, particularly a Black woman. After a while, Dorothy earned the grudging respect of the men she supervised, likely because she worked them under the table.

When the hospital closed in 1988, Dorothy was a widow with three children. Merc and Bec encouraged her to go to college, even though she insisted she was “too old”. Dorothy’s father believed that women should not be educated, but Dorothy took on the challenge of college at age 41, proving her father wrong. She graduated at the top of her class at Jamestown Business College. She was immediately hired as an accountant at ALLTEL. Her job transferred her to Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1993. Dorothy started working at Schaeffler Group USA as the manager of the accounting department in 1998. Dorothy was so good at her job handling international financial transactions that the company begged her not to retire in 2014. We are glad that she listened instead to Rodney, Merc, and Bec, who conspired together to urge her to retire and move to Defiance, Ohio, where she would be closer to her daughters.

Dorothy took on the biggest challenge of her life when she adopted her 3-year-old granddaughter, Te, in 2007. While it was daunting to become a parent again at age 60, Dorothy did an incredible job raising Te to be a smart, beautiful, kind, and talented young lady. Very often, life has a way of moving in a beautiful circle. The love and kindness you give to others comes back to you tenfold. Dorothy gave Te the home that her parents could not provide. In turn, that little granddaughter grew up to be a gentle and compassionate caregiver to her grandmother when she needed her the very most, all while juggling the responsibilities of college and work.

Dorothy had a touching way of helping people in a quiet manner. She did not seek attention or reward for her good deeds. She simply followed Jesus’ command in Matthew 6:3-4, “When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand knew what your right hand is doing, so that you give in secret.” Dorothy followed Jesus obediently. Her house in Jamestown, New York was well known as a place to grab a meal, on a holiday or any other occasion. It was rather like the loaves and fishes. Somehow, the food never seemed to run out, and everyone was welcome, regardless of their station in life.

Dorothy regularly made sandwiches and coffee for the homeless people in downtown Charlotte. When Dorothy moved to Defiance, she enjoyed making cookies for area nursing home residents at Christmas time. Dorothy also generously gave of her time. She volunteered for two years as an Administrative Assistant at her daughter’s workplace. She was a welcome addition to the office and took many “road trips” with Bec to meet with clients at area senior centers and nursing homes. Dorothy also volunteered for six years with the Volunteer Income Tax Program, using her gift with numbers to assist hundreds of people with their taxes over the years.

While Dorothy was a very hard worker, she also took time for fun. She was a voracious reader. One of our earliest memories is of Dorothy standing at the stove with a stirring spoon in one hand and an open book in the other. She loved to talk books with Merc and Bec, starting in their teenage years. They made frequent trips to the Paperback Exchange in Jamestown and bought bags full of books, trading them back and forth with each other. Dorothy was also a talented crafter. We cherish the many blankets she crocheted for us. They were a lasting reminder of the love she had for our family.

Dorothy enjoyed her 5:00 PM Bible study and talk sessions with Merc and Bec, a tradition that continued after Merc’s passing. Sometimes they would get off on a tangent and didn’t quite get to the Bible study. Dorothy always said, “We have been bad again. We didn’t do our Bible study. “ Whether or not the Bible study happened, you can be assured that Dorothy was always faithfully reading the word and praying.

Dorothy loved watching football with her husband, Rodney, and betting $1 on each game. She usually managed to come out on top, and she always “talked trash” throughout the game. The financial stakes were outweighed by the bragging rights. Dorothy took sheer glee out of winning and not letting you forget the fact.

While we grieve the loss of our matriarch today, we know that she is now free of all pain. Her breathing is no longer labored. Her body is no longer sore. She has no worries. She is in heaven, enjoying a well-deserved laugh and conversation with Merc and many other loved ones. She now watches over all those she left behind, particularly her beautiful granddaughter, Te, or “Miss Ann”, as she called her. Dorothy did not want people to remember her in sadness so there will be a celebration of life planned for a later date.

For those of you who knew and loved Dorothy, we encourage you to do something in her memory today. Watch a football game and talk trash. Slow down and read a good book. Bless another person with your time and your talents. We love you dearly, Dorothy/Kandi/Emma/Toots. We lost a beautiful soul on October 17, 2026, but heaven has now reclaimed one of its most faithful servants.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date. Schaffer Funeral Home was honored to assist the family with arrangements.