BRUNSWICK — Gail Della Smith, 77, of Brunswick, passed away peacefully on Oct. 27, 2014, at a Scarborough health care facility. She was born in Augusta, ME, on Dec. 28, 1936, the daughter of Richard and Claire (Brillard) Smith.

A 1954 graduate of Brunswick High School, Gail received her B.A. in history from the University of Maine in 1958 and subsequently earned a master’s degree in history and a master’s in education from USM. She began a long and successful teaching career in Oakland, ME, in the fall of 1958. After three years there, she joined the faculty of Bath Junior High School, where she remained until her retirement in 1992.

An enthusiastic sports fan, she was a member of the Brunswick Golf Club for about 25 years, winning the Southern Maine Women’s Golf Association Metropolitan Tournament in 1984 with the team of Harriet York, Pat Warren and Charlotte Hart. With her mother, she helped manage and cooked for the Clam Shack, a popular eatery on old Route 1 in Brunswick. In her retirement, Gail brought these considerable culinary skills to the golf club kitchen during golf season , routinely cooking 12 turkeys and 75 lobsters on Fridays. She created turkey and lobster salads and rolls for the weekend crowds.

For the last several years, Gail enjoyed her job as a monitor in the athletic facilities at Bowdoin College. She also delighted in the company of her pets, most recently a handsome golden retriever, Duke, and her money cat, Pussy Galore. Gail’s generous heart and great sense of humor will always be remembered.

Survivors include two cousins; her good friends Catherine and Andrew Nickas, Charlotte Hart, Richard Lord, Jane and Mark Biscoe, and the Gang from Third Floor East Chadbourne at UMaine (you know who you are!).

Services will be private. If desired, memorial gifts in Gail’s name may be made to the Class of 1958 Scholarship Fund at the University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469.

To share your thoughts and condolences with the family, please visit www.desmondfuneralhomes.com.