Rebecca Ann (Smith) Szabo, 76, of Augusta, WV, passed away on Tuesday,February 1, 2022, at her home.

Becky was born on February 3, 1945, to Richard and Mari Smith in Eerie, Kansas.  She lived also in Washington, D.C, and Hyattsville, MD, during her child- and young adulthood.  She graduated from Northwestern High School.

On January 4, 1964, Becky married Joseph L. Szabo of Riverdale, MD.  Joe and Becky were married for 58 years and had four children: Joseph L. Szabo, Jr., Mari C. Freno (Joe Freno), Amy E. Pancake (David Pancake), and Jessica A. Szabo.  The family lived in Hyattsville, MD, and later moved to Augusta, WV, building a home near Becky's parents and sisters.

She worked part-time with her sisters as a Bookbinder for her parents' business, the Mt. Pleasant Bookbindery, and at the NIH National Library of Medicine. She was a person of faith throughout her life  – a member of St. Jerome's parish in Hyattsville, MD, and then Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, where she was loved by her faith family;

She was a student of Life - curious, interested and accomplished in so many areas. She was:

A seamstress – sewing her babies' clothes and Halloween costumes; prom--, brides-maids, wedding- and night- gowns for her daughters, her grandchildren's baptism gowns, quilts, and baby blankets, and custom-fitting her girls' Levis before skinny jeans were a thing you could buy;

A music lover and musician – listening to and loving an eclectic range of music throughout her life, playing guitar and singing; founding and directing Joyful Noise, the acoustic music group at her church;

A gardener – knowing and loving plants and flowers, beautifying whatever place she happened to be, always there with knowledge and advice;

A scholar and life-long learner – taking college course with her daughters or on her own, reading voraciously. She could name the capitols of every country in the world, always chosen first for Trivial pursuit games, no crossword puzzle could stump her;

A fearless cook – Cooking gourmet meals or making something delicious from whatever was on hand; her family couldn't wait for their birthdays each year because she would bake everyone their favorite pie;

A genealogist  – researching and compiling a tremendous family history, traipsing through courthouses, libraries and graveyards across the states for gravestone rubbings and marriage records;

A dedicated volunteer – thoroughly enjoying spending time with the residents and staff at the Vineyard Home in Purgittsville, and becoming quite adept at wine making.

She had an immense sense of humor and a marvelous wit, and loved the beach and her cats.

Her own children were often a royal pain. But none-the-less, she allowed them to talk her into: attending a Rush Concert with them; sneaking into a college Botany lecture; going on long hiking weekends, where she outpaced daughters and granddaughters to the top of any mountain; walking a mile down Route 50 to the convenience store in a blizzard because we were out of candy bars and beer; even taking a ride on the back of her son-in-law's motor-cycle.

Above all, she was delighted by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.  Nothing made her happier than engaging with them on their own terms and knowing them as companions as well as children.

Becky was predeceased by her parents and her beloved grand-daughter Erin M. Pancake.  In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her sisters Madie Alkire and Laura McBride; her grand-children Phillip Szabo, Richard Szabo, Joshua Wagner, Beth Wagner, Isaac Pancake, Jacob Strawn, Rebecca Strawn, and Aidan Szabo; and her great-grand-children Morgan Wagner and Matthew Strawn.

Becky was loved and adored by her family and friends.  Her memory is a blessing to all who knew her.

A memorial mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Romney at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Gifts in memory of Becky may made to Hospice of the Panhandle, 330 Hospice Lane, Kearneysville, WV 25430 ( https://www.hospiceotp.org/donate/ ),  or the Hampshire County Community Foundation - Erin Michele Pancake Fund, PO Box 40, Romney, WV 26757 ( https://www.ewvcf.org/become-a-donor/ )

All arrangements are being handled by McKee Funeral Home, Augusta, WV.