Carreen Annette Smith

Carreen Annette (Armerding) Smith passed into the arms of our Heavenly Father on June 9th, 2026 after a valiant battle with cancer, now reunited with her husband Paul Raymond Smith (1945 - 2020). She is survived by her son Lucian, his wife Sara, and their children Ellric and Allie; her daughters Taleigh and her son Zahir Cielo, Lindsay, her husband Matthew Steele and their children, Luke and Kyle; and Miriam, her husband Josh Foley, and their children Will and Taylor; and over twenty five Armerding and Smith grandchildren.

Carreen was born to Hudson and Miriam (Bailey) Armerding. She graduated from Wheaton Academy in 1964 and Wheaton College in 1968, majoring in Music. A big sister to her core, she helped to raise her three brothers Taylor, Paul and Jonathan Armerding, and her sister Mimi Swisher. One of the earliest of her thousands of acts of love, loyalty, and kindness to her siblings was, at age 5, holding her terrified 3-year-old brother's hand to help him overcome his stage fright and sing a song to a church congregation.

Carreen had a gift to joyfully draw music out of people to the glory of the Lord. She accompanied her mother and thousands of others on the piano; and loved teaching piano, even up through her last week of life. For over 20 years, she served alongside her husband "Pastor Paul" as the music director at West Side Presbyterian Church. Carreen sang second soprano with the Seattle Symphony Chorale and later joined the University Presbyterian Church choir. She volunteered at Tilden School, hosted a Christmas open house every year, cleaned up litter and complimented gardens on her daily walks, and genuinely shared God's love with each person who crossed her path. Wherever she went, Carreen added to a seemingly endless list of best friends.

Carreen and Paul married in 1968 in Wheaton, later accepting a ministry at Immanuel Presbyterian Church in McKeesport, PA; buying their first home and starting a family. In 1981, pregnant with Miriam, they moved to Seattle, WA. Together they traveled the world in ministry and adventure, visiting the Philippines, Chad, Nigeria, South Africa, Alaska, China, Israel, Thailand, Australia, and beyond. Carreen even attended the homebirth of her final grandchild in Nicaragua.

Carreen often said she had a wonderful life and was ready to go to heaven.

Please share memories, photos, and condolences on the guestbook, located below. 

Arrangements Entrusted to Emmick Family Funeral Home of West Seattle