Sharry Marecek Ruteaga

Sharry Lynn Marecek Ruteaga, 78, of Hudson, passed away January 27, 2021. She was yet another unfortunate victim of the Covid-19 pandemic that has been sweeping our nation. Unlike most that had to be alone, she was fortunate enough to have her family surround her, albeit virtually. She was born to the late Willie and Vlasta Marecek on December 16, 1942 in Port Neches, TX. Sharry graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1960. She married the late Billy Smith and they lived together in Beaumont. Sharry is survived by six children: Timothy Rivera, Kisha Stewart, Alecia Cardenas, Paul Smith, Leslie Smith, and Billie Smith. She is also survived by her twelve grandchildren: Mario Cano, Michael Cano, Evonna Yarbrough, Veronica Cardenas, Jessica Cardenas, Francesca Smith, Andrew Smith-Gonzalez, Raeshema Smith, William Isbell II, Dana Isbell, Emily Isbell, and 13 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her loving husband Billy Smith in 1995 and her beloved grandson Daniel Cano in 2012. Sharry was a spirited woman. That is the polite term we will use today. It was not always easy to embrace that spirit, but she was loved regardless. She was quirky, idiosyncratic, capricious but it was this behavior that motivated her children to follow more conventional paths and it drew them closer together. She was immensely proud of her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and showed that it was there that she could focus on healing her family. She is most fondly remembered for her amazing cornbread dressing on Thanksgiving, it was the absolute best! That recipe will be handed down for generations.