Obituaries

Amber Rae Smith was born on the eve of Valentine’s Day in 1985 to proud parents Roger and Darlene Smith. She was a beautiful baby and a wonderful little girl. Her humor and quick wit were remarkable. She was very funny and would often say something that made teachers and neighbors laugh. She loved to keep her younger sister Kelsey entertained with imaginative games and a world full of interesting ideas.

Amber’s hobbies growing up included dance (with tap dancing being her specialty), baking, running, and learning French. She was taught how to play the piano by her loving grandmother Helen, with her favorite song to play being “Fur Elise.” She went to wonderful Catholic schools growing up: St. Bridget of Sweden in her neighborhood and Louisville High School.  She won the spelling bee in seventh grade and did very well in school, with her writing skills always being admired.

Pursuing her interests in hospitality and journalism, Amber attended San Diego State University and Santa Monica College. She received the Santa Monica College Corsair Reporter of the Year award in 2007 and also interned with the Los Angeles Times- a dream come true for her.

Her distinguished career in hospitality began at Maison 140 and The Avalon Hotel both in Beverly Hills as the guest service agent. She then moved on to become a concierge at The Fairmont Miramar, where she was awarded the Gold Key Award for rising star concierge by the Los Angeles Concierge Association. She continued as a concierge with the Waldorf Astoria and the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills and, more recently, at the Four Seasons and Swedish Hospital in Seattle.

Amber treasured exploration and travel, finding beauty in both new people and new places. Her favorite travels included locations both far and near; she reveled in a trip to Europe in her late teens and subsequently explored every inch of her hometown Los Angeles and nearby Tehachapi. More recently, she relocated to Washington state, where she found peace in nature. Snoqualmie Falls quickly became one of her favorite destinations in Washington, so much so that she excitedly brought her father there in late August 2023.

Amber had many plans and dreams that were tragically cut short by diabetes complications. She loved deeply and fully with all her heart and had so much more love to give.

She is survived by her father Roger Smith, mother Darlene Smith, sister Kelsey Katro (husband Steven), and nieces Ryan and Emma. She also leaves behind beloved aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends. We miss her dearly.

We will be holding a virtual memorial service on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 1pm PST, 4pm EST. For link, please visit: https://everloved.com/life-of/amber-smith/