Patricia Ann Smith age 88 passed away October 15, 2024 in Helena after we had a moment of prayer. She had been struggling with failing health and continued falls which placed her in health facilities the last couple of months of her life.
She had many names, Pat, Patty(Ann), Patsy(Ann), wife, sister, mom, and Nana. The oldest of three siblings Pat was born to Russell and Marianne McVay December 5, 1935 in Wheeler MT. Upon moving back to Great Falls Pat’s sister Carol McVay was born followed by her brother Jack McVay. She spent her younger years between Great Falls and Lewistown. She loved to reminisce about her time she spent with family in Lewistown.
Pat married Leroy Bacon and 5 boys came from that marriage. Michael John, Douglas Steven, David Patrick, Nicholas Joseph, and Thomas Ross. They later divorced.
She attended school in Great Falls. While her primary job in life was being a mom (which she loved being) she did have some jobs as a bartender and cocktail waitress. She was cocktail waiting when she met Ben while he was in Great Falls for an Eagles FOE conference.
Pat married Benjamin Cleveland Smith in Great Falls MT on December 22, 1971. With that marriage came their daughter Camie Sue Smith. Ben proceeded Pat in death April 25, 2003.
Once married to Ben, Pat moved her and her boys to Helena. Ben embraced the challenge of helping Pat raise the Bacon boys, whom he loved as he did his own children.
Pat and Ben made their home in Helena for over 21 years. Although she made many friends and connections in Helena, she made a choice for her and Ben to move back to Great Falls after Ben was in a terrible wreck in 1993. She felt a very strong need to be closer to her sister and friends she made growing up in Great Falls.
Known for the gift of gab she would talk to anyone and never met a stranger. She loved going to parties and when it was time to go Ben would give her 3 “well it is time to go” before she knew he was ready and she needed to go. Which her daughter also employed that tactic later in life.
She found humor in almost everything in her life. Her tenacious sense of humor could wear on a person at times. However, if you commented on her finding things funny, she simply stated “well with all the things in my life I have endured I need to find humor or I would just be in a bad spot”.
Being the mom of five boys wasn’t easy and she knew her boys were a “rough bunch” but she loved them all very much. While she loved them all, she knew the boys were not easy to date/live with which made her have a tendency to take the side of the girlfriend/wife when it came to her boy’s being a “rough bunch”.
As the Nana on the guy side of the grandkids she had some hurdles for her to be present in her grandchildren’s lives. All the women made sure to involve her as much as possible, which she greatly appreciated. She attended as many events, parties, celebrations as possible. If anyone had any doubt about her love for her grandchildren all you would need to do is walk into her house you would know that she loved being a Nana and loved ALL of her grandkids/great grandkids and loved any and all interactions she had with them.
Pat loved to play cards and really enjoyed her time playing pinochle. While living in Helena she loved playing with her lady’s group and had to make her “famous” shrimp dip. Upon moving to Great Falls she found her new pinochle home at the Senior Center. She was a stickler for rules and was not afraid to point out those that were not playing correctly.
She loved everything British. BBC was her favorite channel and enjoyed watching all of the programs available. If she found a person with a British accent she would engage her natural talent of chatting and would start a conversation to listen to that accent every chance she could get. She always wanted to go to England but as she got older the idea of flying was not appealing to her any longer.
Pat is proceeded in death by her mother Marianne, father Russell, her husband Ben, her brother Jack, Leroy, and sons David, Nick, and Tom.
Pat is survived by her daughter Camie, sons Mike and Doug, sister Carol McVay, her stepchildren Mickii (Ed) Coutts, Benita (Steve) Harper, Benji (Joan) Smith, Robyn (Jim) Haskett, Brett (Amy) Smith, several grand and great grandchildren.
Services will be held Saturday May 31st, 2025 at 2:00 pm at The American Legion Post 2, 3095 Villard.
Service Schedule
Celebration of Her Life
2:00 p.m.
Saturday May 31, 2025
American Legion Post 2
3095 Villard
Helena, Montana 59601
Service Schedule
Celebration of Her Life
2:00 p.m.
Saturday May 31, 2025
American Legion Post 2
3095 Villard
Helena, Montana 59601
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Julie Massaro says
Camie Sue…what a great celebration of your mom’s life yesterday! I’m sure she would be pleased with all you did to make it so nice for everyone. Rick and I continue to send you our love!
Erica Bacon says
I am Erica Bacon and this was my Nana why did I not hear about this or my father Michael Bacon. None of her grandkids are mentioned nore great grandkids she was alive and near by but I only saw few times growing up. And ast time saw her was when I was 18 and moved away cause all that family yet no one ever visited or invited no one over I had no idea she lived in Helena or for so long. I always thought she lived in great falls this whole time then she passed away 5 days after my birthday. no one knew. I had no idea she married 2 times. Or really anything at all about her or her life or that y aunt had different dad then my dad and my uncles. Don’t recall ever meeting anyone but cammi and my dad. Or that 3 children of hers died before her. Was told my grandpa that not talked about in her committed suicide but don’t know anything about my family and was right there for 8 years in same city or only few hours drive away. Why is there never family reunion or gatherings of any kind unless someone dies. I would like to know family good or bad and so would my kids or my sisters kids and there still up there. My sister passed away Angela Bacon in January of 2024 as well around the 2nd just days after seeing her and bagging for me to let her live with me but I was and still am homeless with my kids at the time and still am cause men are not held responsible for children at all. As far as my kids know I’m only family they have and my dad and my mom’s side in Mississippi. Also my half brother here only 2 hours away but never say hi or come around cause I’m not rich so I’m no one to family and no one keeps in touch with no one they all always fighting over crap. I know i never did anything to anyone in the family so why am I not counicated with by no one. I wish I could of had her around but had to leave and hope for welcoming to new family that’s my kids dad’s family that didn’t happen i wasn’t accepted and everything was just bad for long time for me things not great still but its getting better. I have 6 kids myself 2 oldest all grown now well 16 son 19 daughter there dad still not good person and they chose to be with him the past 2 years. Me and my other 4 its just us tryin to get by and do what we can. There father also not good person and isn’t paying child support and not aloud aroud. They have no grandparents no great grandparents cause no one wants to be around in my life so they have never had any in there’s other then my dad and my mom side few people. I didn’t have help like people do from family to watch kids sometimes or things like that here and there and did it all on my own other then few friends along the way and boys and girls club are my kids family and great male role models for them mostly lol now my oldest Jerica Lindsey is working for boys and girls club now just got her cosmetology certificate and already from last year has her high school diploma with at same time associate of arts degree. My son Leavonn Lindsey is 16 has dyslexia and speach impediment but only has 2 years left of high-school and him and jerica blame me for everything even tho I never said bad about there father to them they alow him to do that about me and he has turned them against me like I ever did them wrong or harmed them in any way. My other oldest of the four Sylvana Bacon is super smart in school goin to same high school as jerica did and getting her high school diploma with associate degree in four years starting in August and been homeless living in car for last year and half still accomplished great things like straight a in every class all year long and never had to do homework at home. The next Jazlyn Bacon is 12 she also has dyslexia they get it from me I have it and speech impediment as well. She is starting middle school 7th grade in August she is the mommy one of them all she helps so much with everything her I will say is my little buddy she will help even when she don’t want to she only one I feel goin to be good mom and maybe my youngest one. She struggles in school but still tries vary hard as she has real problems reading like myself. But she is extremely strong the short one of the family and the gymnast does flips and all with no hands back forward she not scared of pushing herself. Then there’s Tayvius Bacon my youngest son he does ok in school. About to be in 5th grade in August and gets picked on a lot from his sisters and since he basicly only boy lol leavonn don’t want to hang out with him much if ever and because his father don’t do what he supost to do and have his own ss card and birth certificate for his children he taken it out on me and blames me cause I’m keeping the copies I have since his father stole them all when they was baby’s and I had to get new ones myself with no help and no child support for over 4 years and so everything i had of my mother or any family was lost due to the oldest 2 father not paying storage or saying anything to me about it. Now he do help some with the baby sister to they buddy’s as well as sylvana and leavonn was but not so much anymore cause I showed her how they dad treat me when I don’t do what he wants me to like give him my copies instead of getting his own he only had 19 years and 16 years and stole them from me lost them original copies from birth and take it out on me and my other kids saying they not welcome to come over and spend time with there brother no more or shower sometime like jerica lived there and he do anything for her so she would let them but now he treat leavonn bad and leavonn stuck there now believe all the crap he lied about me to him and so he don’t talk to me only has when needs something from me same with Jerica but they grown now almost so nothing I can do. Then there Skyli Bacon the baby super sweet deals with the most cause has so many older way bigger siblings bossing her around and such she ok in school was tested for dyslexia have not see results of that yet but thinking she don’t have that. Then she is almost 8 . She is sweet and picked on as well. That is all of them and we tryin to find a place soon as possible.