Rebecca Hinkley Smythe

Rebecca Hinkley Smythe, August 26 ,2005 Rebecca Hinkley Smythe, known to all as Becky, died Friday, August 26 at noon in her home in the presence of family and friends. She was born December 14, 1956 at St. Lukes Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota to parents Duane and Theodora Hinkley. The fourth of five Hinkley children, she attended schools in North St. Paul and Inver Grove Heights. Beckys art ability was evident as a young child and during her high school years she excelled in art classes, producing a remarkable senior art show. After graduating from the Rosemount Community College in Landscape Design, Becky worked at a garden center and drove bus for the Metropolitan Transit Commission. Becky met her future husband, Bill Smythe, in 1977. During her years driving city bus, she attended art school Atelier Lack, where one of the distinguished artist residents recognized her unique talent and asked her to apprentice. She chose a different path, and in 1985 Becky and Bill moved from the Twin Cities to their farm in DeSoto, where they raised a family of three children. Becky was a devoted mother. She was able to combine her love of children, flowers, and gardening by becoming deeply involved with the childrens garden at Prairie View School, as well as PTO and leading cub scouts and girl scouts. Becky is survived by her husband, William Smythe, her children Nicholas, Ross, and Michalina, her father Duane Hinkley and his wife Joan, mother Theodora Hinkley, siblings Daniel, Jeffrey, Steven, and Cynthia and their spouses, nephews and nieces, uncles and aunts, and many loving friends.