Ricki Smith

Erica Smith, affectionately known as Ricki, left us too soon on July 9, 2024. Born on July 20, 1959 to Doreen and George Smith, she touched the lives of countless people near and far from Australia, her home country.

After attending nursing school, where she received first-class marks, Ricki obtained her Diploma of Midwifery from the Middlesex University in London. She later won the Johnson & Johnson Midwife of the Year Award.

In 2011, Ricki met her loving wife, Joy, in Perth. They emigrated to the US in 2018 and made their new home in Berkeley, California. On October 1, 2019, they married in an intimate ceremony. She became a proud stepmother to Alfonso, and doting dog parent to Bella.

Ricki's life was defined by her dedication to being in service to others. Outside of work, she applied her professional skills by volunteering for various organizations. After the terror attack on Bali in 2002, she flew to Kuta, the site of the bombing, as a foreign volunteer healthcare worker. She was involved with "No Roads - Health", a program that seeks to improve health care access in Papua New Guinea along the Kokoda Track, a rough and treacherous trail that connects remote villages over the Owen Stanley Range. There, she contributed to efforts to develop and train locals to build their knowledge in medical care.

Ricki loved nature and advocated for the protection and preservation of the natural environment. She participated in coastal cleanups, going so far as to do them on her own. She was an ornithophile and enjoyed visiting the estuary on the San Francisco Bay, a habitat for hundreds of thousands of birds. Looking to nurture native environments, she took up beekeeping.

As a highly-talented glass fusion artist whose creations included wall art, pendants, mosaic lanterns, and lamp shades, Ricki had shown her work in galleries in Western Australia, and in 2024, won the People's Choice Award at the Berkeley Stained Glass Garden exhibition in the Bay Area.

Traveling was one of Ricki's passions; she had visited more than 25 countries. She had made the pilgrimage to the Camino de Santiago in Spain, covering 600 km on foot en route to Santiago. She had also walked 500 km of the Bibblimun Track in Western Australia, one of the world's longest walking trails.

Ricki's dynamism was undeniable. She cultivated her many interests, including music that ranged from jazz to opera. She participated in a number of sports like lacrosse, cricket, and swimming. She hiked and cycled to stay fit. She was learning how to mah jong and recently bridge. She was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable gardener. Warm and affable, she was easy to talk to, had an easy laugh, and a self-deprecating humor.

Predeceased by her parents, Doreen and George, Ricki's memory will be cherished by her surviving family: her wife, Joy; her stepson, Alfonso; her brother, Raymond, sister in law Gloria; her nephew, Benjamin; her nieces, Rhiannon and Caitlin; her great-nieces, Acacia and Gracie; her great-nephews, Devon, Xander, Eli, and Hunter; and Joy's large extended family, who have come to love Ricki as one of their own.

Ricki will be remembered as a selfless and compassionate person, one who cared deeply and gave freely. She will be deeply missed.

The service to celebrate Ricki's life will be held on August 5, 2024 at 6pm at the Brazilian Room at Tilden Regional Park, located at Wildcat Canyon Road at Shasta Road, Berkeley, CA 94708. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Golden Gate Bird Alliance.