Ernestine Smith Leonard, 77, of Akron, Ohio went home to be with the Lord on November 12, 2020, joining her husband Edward Leonard; mother, Dora (Scrutchins) Smith; father, Edward Smith; daughter-in-law, Sarah (Mullins) Leonard; siblings, Edward Smith, Jr, Joseph Smith, Sultan Muhammad, Odessa  Lee, Beatrice Carroll, Rasheedah Hasan, and Lucy Golden (just one day before).

Ernestine was born April 10, 1943, in Twinsburg, Ohio.  She was baptized into the Baptist faith at a young age.  She graduated from Chamberlin High School in Twinsburg, Ohio in 1961, where she was a cheerleader and Class Vice President.  She would later retire from the Akron Public Schools system after 25 years of service.

Ernestine loved crossword puzzles and could spend hours working on them.  She was an avid reader, especially enjoying any Mary Higgins Clark or Nicholas Sparks books. She was a collector of many things; most notably bells to commemorate the places she had been. She loved bells and amassed quite the collection, as everyone she knew would bring her a bell from their various travels.  She loved spending time with her family. She had a constant optimism about her and could always find the silver lining in any situation.

Not one to judge, she believed in giving people a chance to show they have some goodness in their soul long after others had given up.  Reliable and caring, she was always willing to listen, support, and offer encouragement. She had that great sense of humor and knack for sarcasm that came naturally to the Smith family.  She was a warm, loving, and gentle woman who loved God. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend who was always there to lend a helping hand.

Ernestine leaves to honor the memory of her life her children Edward (Jeanne) Leonard, II, Keith Leonard, Kevin Leonard, Andrea Leonard; grandchildren, Eric Bunn, David Leonard, Malia Leonard; and a host of in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Rest well, Ernestine…