Brooke Elizabeth Smith

Brooke Elizabeth Smith, 42, of Oakland, California, and formerly of Zionsville, Indiana, died on January 19, 2020, the victim of a hit and run car accident. She was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 26,1977, to George Pearson Smith, Jr., and Susan Jane Leffel Smith. She was a graduate of Orchard Country Day School and Brebeuf Jesuit High School. She attended Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where she developed a love of travel and interest in world religions and cultures through study abroad experiences in Madagascar and France. Her travels took her to dozens of countries and hundreds of cities spanning six continents, including extended stays in India and New Zealand. Brooke's career focus was on the healing arts. She began as a licensed massage therapist, ultimately obtaining certification as a Reiki Master. She was trained in heart and hands midwifery and was a certified birth doula. She also was a certified yoga teacher, having studiedand later taught at the Pavones Yoga Center in Costa Rica. Most recently she worked as a relationship coach, bringing her years of experience as a healer into the realm of therapy. Brooke was drawn to northern California by i...[more]

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beautiful coastline, lakes, rivers, forests and mountains and rarely missed the chance to watch the sunset. A lover of animals and the natural world, she remained committed to conservation throughout her life and had a special affinity for owls and other birds of prey, having completed an outdoor education internship at Antioch College and the Raptor Center of its Glen Helen Ecological Institute in 1998-99. A talented musician, Brooke was a firm believer in the power of music to build community and develop cross-cultural understanding. She was committed to supporting local musicians and was a beloved patron of the art and music scene in the bay area. Brooke had a particular talent for bringing joy into the lives of others, particularly children. Recently, her six-year old nephew, while visiting Disneyland a week or so after spending several days with Brooke, proclaimed: "This is the most fun I've had since Brooke." Brooke is survived by her parents, of Zionsville, Indiana, her sisters, Molly Murphy (Rich), of Carmel, Indiana, and Amy Fries (David) of Santa Fe, New Mexico and four adoring nieces and nephews. Aunts and uncles Patsy Kennedy, Barbara Wynne, Nancy and Hobby Wilson and Jim Leffel join her family in mourning along with her many cousins and countless friends. A memorial service will be held at 4 P.M. on Monday, February 10th in Robertson Chapel at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. A private internment attended by her parents, sisters and brothers-in-law will be held at Crown Hill Cemetery earlier that day. Contributions in memory of Brooke may be made to Glen Helen Raptor Center, 1075 State Route 343, Yellow Springs, OH 45387 (https://www.glenhelen.org/raptor-center).