Obituary

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 2

Obituary

MRS F. C. SMITH Mrs Florence Caroline Smith, a well-known welfare worker, died at her home in Stanmore road on Saturday in her ninety-eighth year. Mrs Smith and her husband, the late David Thomas Smith, founded the Richmond Mission on its present site with a group of friends in 1911. Since that time she has spent her life in welfare work narticularly at the Addington and Paparua Prisons. In 1920. she was appointed an official visitor to New Zealand prisons. For more than 40 years until 1960, when illhealth interrupted her work, she conducted services every Saturday morning for men at Paparua Prison, Her wise counsel and practical help to prisoners' families and to prisoners themselves when they were released was widely recognised in official circles and by those whom she helped

throughout New Zealand.

Many former priaoners-have become respected citizens through her influence and teaching. Some of them are now carrying out religious and welfare work in various denominations.

For many years. Mrs Smith's preaching and teaching at the Richmond M,wion were features of its undenominational services. Mrs Smith was bora at Kai•poi in 1865. Her parents came to New Zealand in the Cornwall in 1856 and settled on a farm leasee from the Maoris at Kaiapoi. She married Mr Smith, of SiddUl Hall Yorkshire, in Christchurch in 1900. He died last November.

Mrs Smith Is survived by two sons, Messrs J. Roysnuth and Carl Smith, of Christchurch, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.