Yvonne Marie Smaby

A bright light dimmed briefly in our community when Yvonne Marie (Proffitt) Smaby, age 57, died very unexpectedly and much too soon on May 4, 2020, but a new, brighter light will soon replace it, emanating from all of the lives she touched during her brief time with us.

She was born at 2:00 am on October 12, 1962 to Jerry and Mary Lou Proffitt in Boussac, France, where her father was stationed in the U.S. Army, which means it was still October 11 in the United States. As a result, she claimed two days of special birthday treatment every year, and every year her family obliged her.

She moved back to Cincinnati, Ohio with her parents when she was less than a year old, and that is where they made their home until she left for college in 1980. She graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in finance, and started her career in banking in Houston, TX.

She met her future husband, Tim Smaby, in the Republic Bank credit-training program in February 1985. They were married in Cincinnati, OH on May 23 ^, 1987, and began a 33-year marriage that blessed them with three beautiful children, Ben, Elaina, and Grace, and countless wonderful memories.

The family lived for five years in Cincinnati, OH, where she worked at Fifth Third Bank and put Tim through graduate school, and for 10 years in Erie, PA, where she briefly worked at Federated Investors, before moving to Onalaska in 2002. However, no matter who was signing her paycheck, her passion and her joy was raising her children and taking care of her family.

Most recently, she worked as a paraprofessional at Onalaska High School, where she was known most notably as Annie the therapy dog’s partner. She also pursued her more recent passion as an interior designer in her spare time.

She loved to sew, and her dear friend, Dena Trannel, was teaching her to quilt. She loved playing board games and golf with her family, and discussing life and occasionally even books with her book club friends. She also loved to hike, but sadly never realized her dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail. Her favorite place on earth was on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where she vacationed often with her family over the past 35 years.

She had a smile and a laugh that could light up a room, and her friends and family describe her as kind, considerate, passionate, sassy, smart, funny, generous, loving, beautiful, giving, warm, strong, spirited, and a guardian angel.

Both of her parents died young: Jerry at age 49 in 1987 and Mary Lou at age 60 in 2000. She was an only child, as were both her parents, so she has no surviving immediate Proffitt family members. However, she adopted Tim’s family as her own, and they loved her like a daughter, niece, cousin, and aunt from the day she married into the family. She is survived by her husband Tim Smaby of Onalaska, son Ben and daughter-in-law Megan Smaby of Madison, WI, daughter Elaina Smaby and Graham Werner of Salt Lake City, UT, and daughter Grace Smaby of Madison, WI.

She is also survived by Richard and Kay Smaby of Austin, MN, Janice Cook of Austin, MN, Jonathan Smaby and Veronica Bell of Austin, TX, Christopher Smaby of Dallas, TX, and Kendall Smaby of Minneapolis, MN. She is also survived by Brian and Kate Nau of Minneapolis, MN, friends for over 30 years, along with Adam and Katharin Jensen-Nau of Salt Lake City, UT, and Andrew Nau of Fargo, ND.

Her passing has left a hole in our hearts that will not quickly heal. She will be missed by family, friends, colleagues, students, and anyone whose life she touched, however briefly.

A private funeral service for family members was held in the backyard of the home she designed, chosen because we still feel her presence in this beautiful, peaceful spot.

We are tentatively planning to host a public celebration of Yvonne’s life on Saturday, July 25 assuming the quarantine has been lifted by then, and we will announce more details as that date approaches.

If you wish to do something in honor of Yvonne, please consider assisting the Onalaska School District's efforts to ensure all of our families are fed by making a donation to one of these programs:  The School District of Onalaska Food Pantry or The School District of Onalaska Lunch Account Fund.  Donations can be sent to The School District of Onalaska, 237 2nd Avenue South, Onalaska, WI 54650.  Please note which fund you wish to donate to and that your donation is in memory of Yvonne.