Donna Lynn Smith-Conway

Donna Lynn Smith-Conway was born on April 16, 1947 to the late Charles H. Smith and the late Anna May Smith. Donna lived her first 10 years in North Camden before moving with her parents to Gibbsboro, NJ with her first dog, a Boxer named Debbie. Debbie would be the first of many dogs that Donna would own and love throughout her life.

Her brother Scott was born in 1958 and together Donna and Scott begged their parents for nearly 10 years to get another dog. Their parents finally relented. Sarge arrived and he was a mixed Boxer-Great Dane adopted from the Animal Welfare Association in 1969. Donna went out on her own in the 1970's and began acquiring her own dogs, starting with Springer Spaniels, Irish Setters and most recently, a Havanese named Tweed and a Springer named Paisley. Paisley and Tweed are still cared for today by her brother Scott and his wife Dottie.

Donna was a talented piano player, starting at a young age and continuing into her later years. Donna was also a very talented artist taking after late paternal grandmother Ruth Ivins. Donna painted landscapes and other art forms and her work was truly amazing.

Unlike her brother Scott, Donna was very well organized and spent many of her working years as the office manager for her late husband, Jay R. Conway, and their accounting business. She was an aggressive problem solver and her organizational skills were part of that drive.

Donna also enjoyed live theatre and she made many dinner outings with Dottie to the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia.

Most of all though, Donna's life revolved around her many dogs. She began showing Irish Setters and Springers at dog shows around the local region with her late husband, Jay Conway. Traveling to the shows with her dogs in a motor home and winning many of those competitions was her favorite thing to do. The dogs were loved and cared for just as if they were her children.

Donna's last two years were consumed by a heartbreaking battle with dementia, and she was no longer able to care for herself or her beloved dogs, Paisley and Tweed. Even though she was living in a long term care facility, she was still able to have her dogs come in to visit. Scott and Dottie would bring the dogs every Sunday to see Donna and they were truly therapy for her soul and everyone else in her facility. The dogs loved the weekly trips and they looked forward to all of the attention (and snacks) that they would get.

Donna is survived by her brother Scott Smith and his wife Dottie from Waterford, NJ, her nephew Jeffrey Smith and his wife Jennifer from Atco, nephew Michael Smith and his wife Alex from Marlton, four grand nephews, Lucas and Colton Smith from Atco, and Sage and Ford Smith from Marlton, and her beloved dogs, Paisley and Tweed.

The family would like to thank Dottie Smith's sister, Susan Tannahill, for the many hours she spent assisting and caring for Donna at Donna's long-term care facility.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing on Friday, May 16, 2025, from 10:00 AM-11:00 AM at LeRoy P. Wooster Funeral Home & Crematory, located at 441 White Horse Pike, Atco, NJ 08004. A funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM at the funeral home. Interment will follow at First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown Cemetery, located at 101 Bridgeboro Rd., Moorestown, NJ 08057.