Mini Bio

Lois Ann Call was born February 18th, 1937 in Ogden, Utah to Willard Vivian Call and Melba Farnsworth. The eldest of 7 children, she grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah where she attended high school for 3 years and her senior year at Pocatello High in Idaho. There she met, Leslie Ray Smith whom she dated in high school and college and waited for while he served an LDS mission in Johannesburg, South Africa for 3 years. She attended BYU and graduated with an BA in Elementary Education. After they married, Ray received an academic scholarship to Rutgers Law School in Camden, New Jersey. Lois' first teaching job was in Camden, often rated as the most dangerous city in America.

After struggling to have children for 7 years, Lois traveled to Salt Lake City twice to return with an adopted daughter, Monica Lynn and a year and a half later, a son, Anthony Ray (Tony) whom they adopted from their friend and doctor, Dr. Barton. (Anthony Ray). Their next 3 children were natural born in succession: Loni Kay (Loni), Darron Lee, and Kurt Alan. Later, the opportunity arose to take in and adopt 2 siblings from a distressed situation, Tiffani Shauna Ayers and Donald William Ayers (Donnie). These 2 were followed by another 2 natural born children, Mark Andrew (Marky) and Danielle (Dan). Finally, Lois and Ray were contacted to house for the weekend, a foster child from another distressed circumstance. This was Adam Joseph, who was adopted at 12-years-old and came in to the family as the new eldest child to complete their now bulging family of 10 children.

Smith Family.  Top row: Adam, Darron, Kurt, Loni, Tony, Middle row: Ray, Lois, Danielle, Kurt, Monica, Front: Tiffany, Donny (this photo will be moved elsewhere on the blog and replaced when family members scan and send more photos)

The Smith's lived for a short time in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and then Delran, both suburbs of Philadelphia, just across the Delaware River. On December 24th, at 46 years old, Lois succumbed to breast cancer after a 5 year battle leaving 8 children in the home, 1 away at college and another on a mission serving in London, England. The remaining children were moved to the Provo, Utah area and then split up among several of Lois and Ray's siblings, and their eldest daughter, Monica. She is laid to rest in the Salt Lake Valley near the mouths of the Cottonwood Canyons.  Later she was joined by her parents, Melba and Vee, and husband, Leslie Ray Smith.