Charlene "Smitty" (Smith) Teare

Charlene Teare (Smitty) passed away on September 8, 2016 at Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas. 

She was born December 24, 1929 to Jesse and Marie (Hutchings) Smith, on a farm outside of Excelsior Springs, Missouri.  She graduated from Excelsior Springs High School, and received her B.S. in Nursing from The University of Kansas at Lawrence, where she met many lifelong friends who have been close throughout the years. She met Max E. Teare, M.D., at KUMC, where she was a nurse, and they married in November of 1957 in Excelsior Springs. He preceded her in death in 2014.  They have two children, Marijo Teare Rooney (husband Davis) of Hays, KS. and Thomas M. Teare of Chicago, IL, and three grandchildren: Christopher, Sarah and Dawson.  Charlene dedicated most of her life to her family, however, later continued her education, receiving a M.S. in Nursing from The University of Kansas in 1984.  She was a nursing instructor and taught at KU, Avila College, and Garden City Community College. 

Charlene was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother who loved her family very much and also held a love for nature and the outdoors.  She was especially fond of bird watching from outside her kitchen window, growing tomatoes, helping others and traveling adventures with her husband.  She will be greatly missed by all those that knew and loved her.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 17, 2016, at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine St. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until service time on Saturday at the funeral home.  It was Charlene’s wish to be cremated after the services, and her ashes will be scattered aside her husband’s on the Missouri farm where she grew up.  No flowers are requested, however, donations can be made to the Trego County-Lemke Memorial Hospital or to the Rita and Jack Clifford Nursing Scholarship through the KU Endowment Fund, Box 928, Lawrence KS, 66044.  Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com or via email at haysmemorialchapel@gmail.com