Margaret McCollum Smith

Margaret McCollum Smith peaceably passed away July 24, 2024, surrounded by her family. Margaret was born on September 3, 1944, in Coronado, California, at the North Island Naval Air station. She was the first child of John Claude McCollum Jr. and Helen Eudora Williams. She is survived by her husband, Roger Smith; two children, Marion Johnston of Twin Falls and David Smith of Coeur d'Alene; and her brother, John McCollum of Orem, Utah. She was also the grandmother of five grandchildren.

Margaret lived in many places as her father was a career Naval aviator who served in WWII. Constant moving allowed her to make many friends and see much of the country.

After her father retired from the Navy, the family moved back to California. Margaret’s parents went back to school to get teaching credentials. Her father secured a job at Homestead High school teaching electronics and industrial arts, while Her mother got a job at Cupertino High School teaching home economics.

Margaret graduated from Campell high school in 1962. She then attended San Jose State University through the end of her junior year.

On February 20, 1965, she was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She later transferred to Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1970.

Returning to Saratoga California, she met a returned missionary named Roger Smith who was training to be a pilot. She took an instant liking to him. While courting Roger kept flying and earned his commercial pilot license and instrument rating. Roger proposed to her, and she said yes. They were married in the Oakland, California Temple on August 20, 1971. They will have been married 53 years this August.

When the prospect of flying commercial didn’t work out they decided to go back to Brigham Young University to get some additional education. Margaret obtained a Master of Science Degree in Food Science and Nutrition. Roger obtained two Bachelor of Science Degrees. One in Microbiology, and one in Medical Technology.

While in Provo, Utah, the couple welcomed two wonderful children into their lives: a boy named David Abraham, and a girl named Marion Ruth. 

After graduation, they moved back to Saratoga, California to be near Margaret’s parents and her brother John. They all lived very close to one another. Roger found employment working in hospital laboratories and the medical instrument business, while Margaret decided to stay home to raise the children and do some part-time teaching. 

Margaret developed an interest in genealogical research and spent many years amassing over 20,000 family names. Roger retired from Becton Dickinson Bio Sciences, and the couple decided to relocate to Idaho where their children now live. They arrived in Twin Falls in 2017 and built the home of their dreams.

Viewing and Funeral Services will take place on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 at 10 am in the LDS Church building located at 2680 Elizabeth Blvd, Twin Falls, ID 83301.  Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Park, in Twin Falls.