Marie Doro Smith-Roberts passed away on December 7, 2023 in Richmond, Virginia.
Marie was born in Waupaca on January 28, 1935, daughter of Balcer and Dorothy Doro and sister to Margaret and Tom Doro. Marie graduated Co-Valedictorian from Waupaca High School in 1953. Marie was a teacher with a master’s degree in Special Education, a missionary in Washington, DC, and an active Christian leader on Capitol Hill encouraging others to pray for Congressmen and their staff.
Born into a family that prized education, Marie taught throughout her life starting in the 1950s with Kindergarten, Special Education for learning disabled in the ‘60s and ‘70s, English in South Korea in the ‘80s, and lastly English as a Second Language to adults in the DC area. After retiring in 1996, Marie and her husband Burt Roberts enjoyed trips to Israel and the Middle East, serving in short term missions. A core feature of her character, Marie shared her lifelong love of music by gladly playing the piano and other instruments. Music was a central feature of who she was and how she enjoyed her life. Marie is missed and cherished for being a ray of light, full of grace, and a strong Christian who loved to encourage all she met.
She is survived by her two sons, Craig (wife Justine in Richmond) and Brett Smith (wife Kristen in DC Metro area), a small army of gifted grandchildren (8), and her first husband, Dr. David Smith (Waukesha). She is preceded in death by her second husband, Delvis Burton Roberts, and her brother and sister.