Toni Ann Smith

Friends and family are devastated by the sudden passing of Toni Smith on December 22nd, 2023. In just 66 years, Toni touched the lives of so many, and she will forever be remembered for her strength and her boundless devotion to the people she loved. Toni left this world surrounded by the people she loved the most.


Born in Columbus, Ohio on July 17th, 1957, Toni Ann Phillips grew up in Pataskala and lived the majority of her life in Granville, where she resided at the time of her death. Raised by her German mother and her Virginian father, she graduated in 1975 from Licking Heights High School where she was a cheerleader for the duration of her high school years. All who knew Toni will agree that she carried the vivacious energy and positive spirit of her younger cheerleader self with her throughout her life, always the first and loudest to congratulate and celebrate the achievements of her loved ones. Toni enjoyed gardening, collecting antiques and knick knacks, going to concerts, traveling (especially to any beach and to visit her daughters in Indianapolis and Jacksonville), and her all-time favorite pastime was hosting parties and socializing with her friends and family members.


Throughout her life, Toni was known for being a fiercely loyal friend who was vibrant and full of laughter. She would literally give you the shirt off her back if you needed it. Her greatest passion in life was to focus her energy on loving and caring for those around her. She worked for many years as a mail carrier for the Granville Post Office, and after her retirement she bartended for a short time at the Broad Street Tavern in her hometown of Pataskala and worked as an assistant teacher at the Pride-n-Joy Preschool in Newark. Her job at the preschool was her professional passion, and she was overjoyed to be able to use her immense talents to care for the children there. Toni also celebrated her German heritage as a member of the Newark Mäennerchor social club for several years. She volunteered at the TWIGS 6 Thrift Shop until the time of her death and was grateful for the many friends she made through this volunteer work.


If you asked Toni about her greatest accomplishment in life, she would undoubtedly say it was raising her stepson, Tim, and her two daughters, Lynsey and Lila. Toni loved being a mom more than anything in the world. She was also ecstatic to be a grandma to Tim's daughter, Kenzie, and to Leo, son of her neighbor and dear friend, Jenny.


Toni is preceded in death by her parents, Emmy (Ade) and Vearl Phillips; her sister-in-law, Linda Zeune; and her brother-in-law, Richard Smith. She is survived by her children, Tim Smith (and his wife, Stephanie Smith), Lynsey Smith, and Lila Smith; her husband, Roger Smith; her boyfriend and best friend, Greg Wright; her brother, David Phillips; her granddaughter, Kenzie Smith; her mother-in-law, Harriet Grim; her brothers-in-law, Gary Smith and Jim Zeune; many cherished relatives in the Wright family; beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins in the Smith family and Phillips family; her two grand-dogs, Stevie and Joanie; and countless friends and chosen family members who have been lucky enough to receive her love and adoration over the years.


In lieu of traditional funeral arrangements, a celebration of life party will take place in 2024 and details will be forthcoming for friends and relatives. Toni's family requests that you send your favorite photos and stories of her to tonithegreatandwonderful@gmail.com. Loved ones who wish to show their support may also make a donation to Mount Carmel Hospice in gratitude for the tender care they provided to Toni in her final days. To donate, visit https://donor.mountcarmelfoundation.org