Gail Joan Smokovitz, 70, of Savage, MN, formerly of Saginaw, MI, passed away on January 12, 2022.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, January 21, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Prior Lake, MN, starting at 11:00am. A visitation will take place before the mass from 9:30-11:00am at St. Michael Catholic Church. Gail was a lifelong advocate for public health. In honor of her vocation, the Smokovitz family requests that all attendees wear masks.
Livestreaming will be available at St. Michael Catholic Church’s website: http://stmichael-pl.org/ and by clicking on the “Mass and Services” tab.
On April 13, 1951, Ralph and Mildred (Schaffer) Kunitser were blessed with their fifth and final child, Gail. Born and raised in Saginaw, MI, Gail developed her love for animals and the outdoors. Gail adored her horses and was an award-winning rider in the barrel bending event. When Gail wasn’t foaling, caring for, and racing her horses, she attended and graduated from St. Mary’s Cathedral High School. Gail’s kind heart and compassionate spirit led her to pursue a career in nursing. She graduated from Bay City Practical Nursing Center in 1974 and began working as an LPN in her hometown.
Not long after, Gail’s brother-in-law introduced her to his work associate, David. Busy with her career, Gail declined David’s initial advances, but after the fifth request, she decided to give him a chance, and the pair hit it off right away. Gail and David were united in marriage on October 6, 1979.
The happy couple moved to the Detroit area, where they would spend the next 12 years. They were blessed with two wonderful sons, Jacob and Joshua. The family enjoyed spending time at their cottage in Bay City, MI on Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Gail enjoyed fishing for perch, swimming, boating, exploring the bay by raft, and sharing her love of the outdoors with her sons.
In 1992, the family moved to Savage, MN, but maintained their Michigan roots by returning to the cottage nearly every summer. In Minnesota, Gail worked as a school nurse for Prior Lake High School. She enjoyed volunteering with her sons at the Boy Scout Christmas Tree Lot and helping to run the silent auction for her church’s spring fundraiser festival. Gail always put her family first, attending her sons’ sporting events, Boy Scout activities, band concerts, and bear hunting as a family. She also shared her love of animals with her boys, helping them raise dogs, chickens, ducks, and a rabbit through the years.
Caring, selfless, and compassionate, Gail will be greatly missed by her husband, David Smokovitz; children, Jacob (Brittany Mammenga) Smokovitz, Joshua (Laura Holzner) Smokovitz; grandson, Walter Smokovitz; siblings, Jean and Bob McNamara of Birch Run, MI, Mary Kay Kunitser of Bay City, MI, and Ruth and Pete Markey of Saginaw, MI; and sisters-in-law Margaret and Dennis Alberts of Bloomfield Hills, MI, Teresa and Greg Mulawa of Rochester, MI, and Mary Ellen and Rick Tonis of Birmingham, MI.
Gail is preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Mildred (Schaffer) Kunitser, her brother, Lee Kunister, and her nephew, Ryan Peter Markey.
Flowers, cards, and memorial contributions to charity are all welcome. In remembrance of Gail’s life and her passion for horses, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to one of the local equine rescue organizations below. For those websites that use PayPal, please type “In memory of Gail Smokovitz” in the “Instructions to the seller” area.
Minnesota Hooved Animal Rescue Foundation – Zimmerman, MN
https://mnhoovedanimalrescue.org/donate/
This Old Horse – Hastings, MN
https://www.thisoldhorse.org/donate
Farmaste Animal Sanctuary – Lindstrom, MN
Healing Hearts & Hooves – Webster, MN
https://healingheartsandhooves.net/how-you-can-help
CANTER Minnesota – Prior Lake, MN
https://canterusa.org/minnesota/#donate
