Obituary of Doreen Smyth

Doreen Smyth, 66, of Wooster, Ohio, passed away on December 26 in her childhood home in Piscataway, NJ, surrounded by her loving family. She faced a long and courageous battle with cancer after a life full of meaningful and varied experiences.

After graduating from Piscataway High School in 1978, Doreen became a photographer at SkyDive East in Pittstown, NJ, where she captured hundreds of skydivers in action (including Christy Brinkley, who showed the photo on The Johnny Carson show), and completed more than 18 jumps herself. She later worked at several other photograph jobs, forming lifelong friendships along the way.

Doreen eventually moved to Las Vegas, where she worked at The Little Church of the West and collected many entertaining stories from her time photographing Vegas weddings. She spent an idyllic year living in her favorite place in the world, San Diego. Her final move brought her to Wooster, Ohio, where she was most recently employed by the St. Paul Hotel. She also rekindled her passion and talent for pottery, taking many classes at the Wayne County Center for the Arts.

Doreen was kind, compassionate, talented, thoughtful, funny, and always up for an adventure. She left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her. 

She was predeceased by her mother, Kathleen Smyth (2022). She is survived by her father, Dennis Smyth; her siblings Kerry (Christine), Kathleen (Nick Kosarych), Laure Ulichney (Bill), Denise Bettinger (Carl), and Tim; her nieces Molly Zosky (Josh) and Brenna George (Anthony); her great-nephew Bryson George; and her great-nieces Maura Zosky and May George, and her puppy Keeva.

Donations to the Visiting Nurse Association (vnahg.org/memorial-gifts-and-gifts-in-honor/), or to the Wayne County Center for the Arts Creativity Fund  (wayneartscenter.org/give) in Doreen’s memory are greatly appreciated.

Arrangements in NJ will be made through McCriskin Funeral Home. A celebration of life in Wooster will be held at a later date.