SMITH, Tracy Paulette (née Kraus), 64, of Morrow, passed away on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the James Cancer Center in Columbus. Born July 24, 1961, in Medina, OH, to Paul Richard and Faye Lilleen (née Schultz) Kraus, she was a 1979 graduate of Cloverleaf High School. Tracy was a proud alumna of The Ohio State University and an avid fan of her Buckeyes.

Tracy cherished life on the family's small farm and was devoted to her family and her beloved Frenchies. She was always a generous giver of her time and energy to her family, her community, and the many causes she supported. For several years, she worked as a substitute teacher for Little Miami Schools. In more recent years, she enjoyed working in her studio and workshop, where she started her own small business, The Klay Room, designing and fabricating a variety of clay-fired creations that she sold at local arts and crafts shows and, more recently, online.

However, her real passion was Kindervelt, the largest auxiliary benefiting Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She worked her way up from leading her local group to serving as citywide president as well as many other leadership roles, contributing most recently on the board as the Technology Chair.

Preceded in death by her parents, she is survived by her husband of 42 years, Mitchell Smith; her son, Matthew (Sarah McGarity) Smith of Portland, OR; her daughter, Rebecca Smith of Glendale, OH; and her sisters, Holly (Karl) Beuck and Lorre (Jerald) Jones.

A memorial reception will be held in Tracy's honor from 2 to 4 p.m. on February 7 at Vale-Hoskins Funeral Home in Morrow, Ohio, with refreshments to follow at the family home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Tracy's favorite charity, Kindervelt, at kindervelt.org.