Glenda Joyce Smith, 78, of Peoria, passed away at 12:02am Thursday, March 9, 2023, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

She was born March 15, 1944, at home in Peoria to the late Glenn and Lillian Greene Smith. She is survived by her siblings, Richard (Sandra) Smith of Sebastian, FL, Marilyn Berkshier, David (Sandra) Smith, and William (Melanie) Gray, all of Peoria; and her many nieces and nephews, plus her bonus nieces and nephews whom she loved and cared for.

Glenda was a lifelong Peorian, graduating from Manual High School. She enjoyed a long career in the title industry, most recently working for First American Title and Peoria Title, retiring in 2021.

Glenda enjoyed celebrating every holiday, usually with a holiday shirt, flashy (and gaudy) earrings and her favorite holiday head gear. She usually had to fight off her youngest groupies to keep her headgear because everybody wanted to wear the flashing lights, blowup antlers or the deely boppers. She was an avid reader and shared her books with everyone. We were glad when she got a Nook because that meant we'd be able to walk through the house without knocking huge piles of books off the bookcase. She visited used bookstores to "turn in" books, only to bring a bigger pile home with her.

She was an avid gardener, much to our mother's chagrin. Once the nice weather showed up, she made up lots of pots from the huge amounts of plants she would buy. But we could always count on a bunch not getting planted and remaining on the back porch because she just couldn't pass up an unusual color or particularly pretty flower.

She was a shopping addict, going to Walmart for something simple and then would she wander the store for 3-4 hours. She loved spending time with her family and traveling with them. We took her everywhere we went, and contemplated a leash as she was prone to wandering off and getting lost. We loved her adventurous streak while traveling as she often found the most memorable places, such as Pughole Lake, Boogertown Road and the Peckers restaurant. She "lovingly"irritated her niece's police officer husband by insisting on dressing like a motorcycle gang member on their travels. We all laughed when the waiter at the Hard Rock Café flirted with her and nicknamed her "Kitten Face." We lovingly called her "the sacrifice" on vacation should we get into trouble for her shenanigans.

She was the nickname queen, giving her brood silly nicknames that she continued to call them as they grew up. At family gatherings, we could always count on her to bring her taco dip because we all loved it. She always made her special chocolate cake for family members' birthdays.

She was generous to a fault, always doing more than she really should, putting her needs last, because she loved us all. She slowed down quite a bit in the last few years, (even slower than her regular "sashay speed") and she could always be found bundled up in her blankets in the living room, watching news all day, reading, and playing her favorite games on her phone.

She was a sweet, fun, and extremely generous spirit. For being a single woman who had no children, she had a ton of kids. She was our second mom, our second grandmother, and our most vocal cheerleader. We will miss her terribly.

A memorial service will be held at 6:00 pm Monday, March 20, 2023, at Deiters Funeral Home and Crematory in Washington. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Greater Peoria Honor Flight.