Rebekka Ann Smith, our beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully on February 27, 2022, after a lengthy battle with end stage renal (kidney) failure.

Rebekka Ann Dora Colgan was born on April 27, 1964 in Rockford, IL to Ronald and Bernice Colgan. She grew up along the banks of the Mississippi River in Savanna, IL. After graduating from high school, she studied at Ricks College in Rexburg, ID. She then earned a B.A. in Music from Utah State University.

Rebekka was an incredibly gifted musician, and could play almost every type of instrument. Her favorite was the tuba, although she loved all brass instruments. Music was a big part of her life, and she taught each of her sons to play musical instruments as well.

After college, she floated a bit between Utah and California, and then worked at Novell in technical support in the early 1990's, which she enjoyed. She met Gary Keith Smith, and they were married in May of 1990 in the LDS Jordan River Temple. She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After a few years in American Fork, they moved to Lehi, where they raised their family and were involved in the community. Eventually four boys joined their family – Zane, Wyatt, Travis and Marshall. Rebekka loved "her boys" deeply.

Rebekka loved to read, and worked part time at the Lehi Library for years. She was incredibly creative, which manifested itself in many areas of her life. She enjoyed doing crafts, and could excel in just about any craft she put her hand to -- origami, scrapbooking, crochet, and stamps were just a few. She was honest, direct, and genuine, and cared about others.

Rebekka was a very persistent and determined soul, which likely is why she was able to survive her many health challenges throughout the years. Once she had a goal in sight, she was unwavering in pressing forward. She fought kidney failure courageously for decades. A kidney transplant gave her a few years respite, but then after it failed, she was on dialysis for many years. This was challenging in numerous ways, one being her deep fear of needles. She started wearing fun socks to dialysis, to distract her from the difficulty. This soon blossomed into adding jewelry, wigs, makeup, and costumes, with a different theme each day. This brightened the lives of the medical professionals as well as the other patients receiving dialysis. Rebekka would often share her socks and costumes over social media, and we all delighted in seeing what her creative mind would come up with next. She enjoyed dressing up and making others happy.

The family would like to give heartfelt thanks to the many kind people at Davita Dialysis who helped and cared for Rebekka through the years.

Rebekka was preceded in death by her son, Zane Gary Charles Smith. Her parents, Ronald and Bernice Colgan, also preceded her in death. She is survived by her husband Gary Keith Smith, who served and supported her through her many years of illness with devotion, loyalty, and care. She is also survived by her sons, Wyatt Keith Smith, Travis Daniel Smith (Kimberly), and Marshall Lewis Smith, and her siblings, Ramona Burgess (David), and Lars Colgan (Katherine), in addition to her beloved uncle, Charles Hengstberger.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 5, at 11 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building located on the corner of 500 East and 300 North in Lehi (across from Lehi High School). A viewing will be held Friday, March 4, from 6 – 8 pm at Wing Mortuary (118 East Main Street) in Lehi, and prior to the services on Saturday, May 5, 9:30 – 10:30 am, at the LDS church building. Burial will take place at the Lehi Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests you consider a donation to the National Kidney Foundation.

Click Here to Send a Meaningful Gift or Donation