White River Jct., VT – Sandra Mary Elizabeth Freitas Smith, 87, a long-time resident of White River Junction, died at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative Care in Lebanon, New Hampshire on August 31, 2023.

Sandra was born on November 25, 1935, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the eldest of five children of John A. and Zaela (Jockel) Freitas. Sandra's family moved to Vermont when she was an infant, and lived in Wilder for a time before settling in White River Junction. She attended the Hartford schools, and was graduated from Hartford High School — where her father was principal — as Salutatorian of the class of 1953. As a young girl, Sandra contracted polio, and the excellent care she received from the nurses in the hospital inspired her to choose nursing as her profession. She was graduated from Newton-Wellesley Hospital School of Nursing in Newton, Massachusetts in 1956, and began her career at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, in Hanover, New Hampshire, where she had been selected to be a clinical instructor of nursing students, fittingly combining two noble professions. As a teacher and a nurse, Sandra demonstrated the importance of putting the patient first and always providing the highest level of care with respect and compassion.

She married Everett John Smith on June 6, 1959, at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in White River Junction. She was a dedicated wife and a loving mother to Thomas Everett and Ellen Mary, and was an adoring daughter, sister, sister-in-law, grammy, cousin, and aunt to her large extended family. Her unwavering support of her family was always her priority, and she dedicated herself to parenting with a steadfast and generous commitment to her children's growth and development. In everything she did, she helped others learn, blossom, and thrive, and her warm smile and engaging spirit made friends feel like family. Sandy kept in frequent contact with family and friends from every chapter of her life. She was gregarious, warm, encouraging, and an attuned listener. Throughout her life, her bright smile was an invitation to friendship, and one couldn't ask for a better friend than Sandra.

Committed to serving her community, Sandra was elected to the Hartford School Board. Her service was infused with honor, pride, and dedication to the school system in which her father had been a respected leader. She was also an active, faithful, and lifelong parishioner of Saint Anthony's Church, where she served on the Liturgy Committee, was active in Music Ministry, was a director of the traditional choir, and sang in the folk choir.

Indeed, music was a joyful constant in Sandy's life. She played the french horn, sang in the Sweet Adelines with her mother, and shared her love of singing with generations of her family. She had a euphonious alto voice, a keen ear, especially for harmony, and a sense of vocal agility and poise which were an asset in collaborating with her fellow singers. She delighted in watching her children and grandchildren perform in their myriad musical pursuits, whether at home or on stage, and enthusiastically celebrated their endeavors and achievements.

Sandy loved and took pride in tending to her gardens, and enjoyed seeing their vibrant color palettes develop from spring to summer to fall. In the colder months, it was a treat to play Bridge with Everett and close friends, and to savor cherished Christmas traditions and happy gatherings with the extended Freitas and Smith families. Sandra treasured the memories of her childhood summers spent as a camper at Camp Billings, living by the shore of beautiful Lake Fairlee with her parents and siblings. She delighted in her family's four generations of unwavering support of, active involvement in, and pure love for Billings, its people, its traditions, and its transcendent spirit. She looked forward to her family's annual vacation to Old Orchard Beach, where she loved swimming in the bracing waters of the Atlantic and taking long walks along the sandy shoreline, searching for sea glass, and talking to the other beachgoers who at first may have been strangers, but who quickly became friends along the way.

Sandra was predeceased by Everett in 2010, and is survived by one son, Professor Thomas Everett Smith, and identical twin granddaughters, Keiko Elizabeth and Amaya Michelle of Williamstown, Massachusetts; and one daughter, Ellen Mary Smith, and grandchildren Madeleine Elizabeth and Henry Everett Thomas of Wrentham, Massachusetts; and siblings Judith Freitas Pippin of Lexington, Massachusetts, John Freitas of Newton, Massachusetts, Robert Freitas and sister-in-law Jean (Gardner), of White River Junction, Vermont, and Kathryn Freitas Sousa of Rochester, New Hampshire, as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Friends and relatives may call at Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction on Thursday, September 14 from 5:00–7:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, September 15 at 11:00 AM at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in White River Junction, with burial following at the Mount Olivet Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed to Sandy's family in an online guestbook at knightfuneralhomes.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Camp Billings in care of Ted Rossi, Business Manager, PO Box 3539, Stowe, VT 05672, or online at campbillings.org.