Stella E. Smith

Stella Elizabeth Smith, 75, of Columbus, Ohio, passed away peacefully on October 6, 2025. She was born on June 24, 1950, in Virgie, Kentucky, to Gaynell Miller and Rev. Shuler Edward Armour. 

Stella devoted her life to caring for others with unwavering commitment and kindness. She began her career in the food industry before finding her true calling as a nursing aide. She worked at Methodist Hospital and Mount Carmel West Hospital before serving at Monterey Nursing Home in Grove City. In February 1980, Stella joined the Heinzerling Community Center, where she would dedicate the next 44 years of her life until 2024.

At Heinzerling, Stella was known for her warm smile, steady guidance, and exceptional compassion. When she first started, she took on the care of the four most challenging residents, and through her devotion and skill, they flourished under her care. Throughout her tenure, she touched countless lives, leaving a lasting legacy of service within the Heinzerling family and the broader community. Stella was preceded in death by her mother, Gaynell Miller; her father, Rev. Shuler Edward Armour; her husband, Wayne Smith; and siblings Sammy Porter, Randy Mosby, Carol Hawkins, Donna Sheffield, and Vivian Mickens.

She is survived by her daughter, Tamra L. Christian (Bobby); grandson, Armande J. Richardson II; grandchildren, Natanya Christian, Tezzaeria Christian, DeSean Christian; and siblings Edwina (Lovell) Smith, Debra Tartt, David Tartt, and Pat Brooks, along with many other family members and friends whose lives she enriched.

Stella loved yellow roses and the music of Luther Vandross. Her spirit of service, infectious warmth, and commitment to making a difference will be dearly missed by all who knew her.