Supporting what matters
The Institute of Noetic Sciences honors late Visionary Circle member Marybeth Marjorie Smith (1923–2005) —spiritual seeker, traveler, and lover of mother earth. A 1947 graduate of Stanford University with a degree in International Relations, she lived in Los Angeles and the Bay Area through the 70s, hanging out with the likes of the Asian philosophy expert Alan Watts while exploring alternatives in religion, philosophy, and psychology. Marybeth studied religions as she traveled the globe, visiting India, South America, Europe, and Mexico, as well as many trips in the United States.
In the early 1980s, Marybeth relocated to where her ancestors settled in the 1880s—La Plata County in southern Colorado—where she built a Kiva home and ranched in the Ignacio and Bayfield areas. She was honored as the Colorado Tree Farmer of the Year in 1993 by the Colorado State Forest Service and honored by the Colorado Tree Farmers Association for her contributions in improving forest land.
Marybeth was a kind, generous person who enjoyed nature, the elements, gardening, animals, and caring for her numerous cats. She was a teacher, a reader, and a writer. “She was an intellectual,” said her niece, Kathy Bartsche. “She had fascinating and creative friends like authors when she lived in San Francisco.” Her nephew, Ralph Wolter, agreed. “It was always a pleasure to sit down to dinner with her,” he said. “She led such an interesting life.”
Marybeth was very philanthropic in contributing to organizations meaningful to her through her estate. The Institute of Noetic Sciences gives heartfelt gratitude for her gift of a generous bequest. We honor her life and her legacy of supporting what matters.
