Eilene Smith passed away May 28, 2022 in Tonasket, Washington. Eilene Lea (Arnold) Smith was born February 17, 1941 in Michigan, to parents Lloyd and Aletha Arnold.

Eilene was raised in Michigan. She was the second oldest of four children (David, Frances and Gilbert). She graduated from Charlevoix HIgh School in 1959. Eilene attended cosmetology school after high school.

In 1960 she met Darrel “Smitty” Smith when he was on leave from the U.S. Coast Guard. They dated for several years before they married on July 27, 1962. They were stationed in Michigan, California, and Hawaii before Smitty’s retirement in 1968 when they moved to Oroville, Washington.

Once in Oroville, Eilene became an Avon representative. She enjoyed meeting new people, which also led her into becoming a Girl Scout leader.

Smitty and Eliene welcomed their only child, Dara Lea, to the world in April of 1972. Eilene was a doting mother. She became a stay at home mom until Dara was old enough to go to school, then she took a day job at Valley Evaporating Company where she worked quality control.

Eilene remained active in scouting once Dara was old enough and continued until the mid-1980s. Eilene took an interest in the Oroville Public Library. She was a substitute librarian and served on the board of the library for 15 years. After that she was active with the Friends of the Library. Eilene was also active in the Oroville United Methodist Church. She designed bulletin boards, helped with crafts and in the kitchen during Vacation Bible School for many years.

She became a grandma in 1992 when Dara and her husband William (Bill) welcomed Rebekkah Lea to the world. Bekkah coined the name Rana for Eilene when she was about three-years-old and it stuck. Bekkah’s friends, and eventually Hannah and Jett and all of their friends, called Eilene Rana.

Eilene and Smitty were married until his death in 2005. Eilene remained in Oroville and continued with the Friends of Library working on projects. She continued to craft and paint. She loved spending time with family near and far, often traveling to Missouri to have Girl Cousin Reunions. She also spent time the third Sunday of July with Smitty’s family at Lost Lake for their family reunion.

Eilene is survived by her daughter, Dara McCoy and husband William of Oroville, Washington; her brother, Gilbert Arnold of Arkansas; her sister-in-law, Linny Arnold of Charlevoix, Michigan; nieces, Karen Arnold and her husband, Jay of Tecumseh, Michigan; Carmen (Parish) and her husband Tom Newberry of Arkansas; nephews Gary Arnold of Charlevoix, Michigan and Brian Parish of Arkansas. She is also survived by her grandchildren Rebekkah McCoy and Patrick Bilby, as well as their children, Malakhai Anguiano, Alaina Alvarez-McCoy, Adrian Bilby and Damian Biliby of Tacoma, Washington and Hannah McCoy and Jett McCoy of Oroville, Washington.

Eilene was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd and Aletha Arnold in 1985 and 1988; her sister, Frances Hussey in 2015; her brother, David Arnold in 2019 and her husband, Darrel “Smitty” Smith in 2005.

Memorial service will be at the Oroville United Methodist Church on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Oroville Public Library.