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Janet Baltzley Smith, 87, a resident of Albuquerque since 1946, joined her beloved husband, "Smitty", on March 21, 2005, after a long and valiant struggle with Alzheimer's Disease. She is survived by her children, Charity-Anne "Dee" Forrest and her husband, Jim Forrest of Rock Springs, WY, Matthew W. F. Smith and his wife, Jeri Schilling Smith of Albuquerque, Sarah-Ellen (Sally) Hinkebein and her husband, Thomas Hinkebein of Albuquerque, and Joan Goodman of Albuquerque; her grandchildren, Mary Forrest Seppie and her husband, Bryan Seppie of Rock Springs, WY, Michael Forrest and his wife, Whitney Forrest of Rock Springs, WY; Amy Horger Harmon and her husband, Chris Harmon of Orlando, Florida; Heidi Hinkebein Thiele and her husband, Greg Thiele of Denton, Texas, and Aaron Goodman of Albuquerque; her great-grandchildren, Kyra Seppie, Tasha Seppie, Kaelen Forrest, Kathleen Thiele, and Ashley Harmon. Jan is also survived by her good friend and former caregiver, Chris Cone of Austin, TX. Jan was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Edgar Warren Smith, Jr. ("Smitty"), on April 6, 1999. It has been a long wait, but now they are together again. Jan was born in Hagerstown, Maryland on July 4, 1917, to O.F. Baltzley and Martha Hipsley Baltzley. She was married to Smitty, her childhood sweetheart, on November 14, 1942 in Watertown, NY. The two young pioneers moved to Albuquerque following World War II. Jan was known as the fastest typist west of the Mississippi. A great many New Mexico scholars over the years breathed a sigh of relief when she put their master's theses or doctoral dissertations in the delivery box, confident that there were no errors and that every footnote was perfect. She retired from the UNM Bureau of Engineering Research where she worked as a technical typist for many years. Jan's passion was music. She was an accomplished pianist and could literally play anything in any key in any style at the drop of a hat. She freely shared that gift with anyone who asked. Jan will be interred with her beloved husband at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe. Jan's family and friends will be celebrating her life at a Memorial Service on April 2, 2005, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 1100 Indian School Rd. NE, Albuquerque, at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to VH1 Save the Music Foundation - a charitable foundation dedicated to preserving music education in our schools. Checks may be made to: VH1 Save The Music Foundation, 1515 Broadway, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10036, or donations may be made online at www.vh1.com/partners/save_the_music. Jan's family would like to express special thanks to Rusty Dobbs and his wonderful staff at The Cottages of Albuquerque for providing a loving home and exemplary care for her during the last part of her life, and to Zia Hospice for their compassionate care during her final days and hours. Sunrise Funeral Options 7601 Wyoming Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 (505) 821-0010
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