Categories: Obituaries

In loving memory of Wanda Lee Susan Smith (Boyd)

Born in Wichita Kansas on December 29th, 1942 to Ivan L. Smith and Anita Dennis. Passed on April 3rd, 2020 in Fernley, Nevada surrounded by family.

Known by most as “Sue” and lovingly called “Old Woman” by a few. Sue lived her life on her terms and exemplified love, courage, kindness, generosity, and honesty. Her work consisted of so many things, from working at Beech Aircraft to Graphic Art Specialist at the University of Texarkana Texas, waitressing, truck driver, trailer park manager, to taking care of the elderly.

Sue was a quick-witted, strong, independent, and very funny woman who, according to her, did a “rain dance” because it was now raining and we needed it. As the matriarch of the family, she was consistently always there with kind words, an open heart, no judgment, a hot meal, warm bed, a shoulder to cry on, a few extra bucks, and a cribbage game if you wanted to lose. There wasn’t an animal alive she didn’t love. She was frequently caught releasing spiders to the outdoors, feeding mice, birds, and squirrels, stepping over ants, and taking in any and all strays, which seemed to include humans as well as canine and felines. She loved the ocean, planting and growing, playing bingo and slot machines, reading books, doing crosswords, but it was her love of friends and family that will forever be remembered. At any given time that her great-grandkids were over, she would be in the kitchen showing them how to make homemade cookies and sending them home with money because it was just sitting there anyways.

She is preceded in death by Ivan and Anita (parents), Ricky Simpson (sister), Roy Curtis Cockrell (son). She is survived by her children Ronald Wayne Cockrell, Ray Lee Cockrell, and Rhonda Sue Call (Cockrell) and Son-in-law Reed Alan Call, her grandchildren, RaeAnn Mitchell, Amanda and Autumn Hayes (Rays’), Wanda Sue Cockrell, Jimmy Lee Lane Jr. and his wife Kimberlie Lane, Colby Ray Sapienza and his wife Julie Sapienza, Shasta Lynn Sapienza-Fromm and her husband Daniel Fromm, Rachel Magrini, and Madison Magrini, and her great-grandchildren Alexandria and Austin Kaulitzke, Trenton Butler (Wandas), Romie Sapienza (Colbys), Brennen and Sarenity Willock, and Azalea Fromm (Shastas), and numerous nieces and nephews.

Good-bye for now mom, I love and miss you terribly, oh, and thanks for todays raindance.

Robert Perea

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  • I'm so sorry for your loss. I don't know your family, but I was wondering if you might know if any of the Dennis relatives lived in the Red Oak area of Oklahoma. My grandmother was Kitty June Dennis and her father was Lumpkin Lee Dennis. I never knew that side of the family because my grandmother died when I was 13.
    Actually, I think her picture looks somewhat like me and I certainly share her love of nature- plants, animals, water. She sounds like someone I would like to have known!

  • Damn I just ran across this !! I have fond memories when I was a kid riding in the back of that old white station wagon!!

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Robert Perea

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