Christine M. “Chris” Smith, 72, St. Cloud

May 31, 1951 - April 21, 2024

Christine M. “Chris” Smith died peacefully in her sleep on April 21, 2024 at Therapy Suites in Sartell after a lifelong battle with rheumatoid arthritis and more recently, interstitial lung disease. A celebration of life will be held at the St. Cloud Unitarian Universalist Fellowship on Friday, June 28th at 10:00am.

Chris was born on May 31, 1951 in Minneapolis, MN to Arvid and Florence Johnson. In 1969, she graduated from Marshall High School. She moved to St. Cloud in 1987, where she began attending St. Cloud State University, graduating cum laude in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in elective studies. In the following years, she attended technical college for paralegal training, and she enjoyed working with Sam Calvert at his law office until her retirement in 2020.

Chris was an active committee member at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in St.Cloud. She also served on the board at the Central Minnesota Housing Partnership for many years as an advocate for affordable housing.

Most recently, she loved being around her two kitties, watching ships come and go from Duluth Harbor via webcam, streaming British murder mysteries, and thrift shopping. She was a loving Mom and Grandma, and we will miss her dearly.

She is survived by her two children, Adam Smith of St. Cloud and Amanda (Brian) Tollefson of Los Angeles, CA; two grandchildren, Otis and Ansel Tollefson; siblings, Clifford (Betty) Johnson of Cold Spring, Catherine (Bo) Azora-Minda of Gardner, MA, and Carolyn (Erses) Ozcan of Ankara, Turkey.

Chris was preceded in death by her father & mother, Arvid and Florence Johnson; sister, Cindy Calder; and niece, Jenny Dircz.