Rita Smith-Wade-El, 70, passed away early in the morning of Dec. 29, 2018, at her Lancaster city home, following a 10-year battle with triple-negative breast cancer. She was surrounded by family and friends at the time of her death.
Rita was born to James Edward and Eva Mae (born Stephens) Smith on October 1, 1948, in Washington, D.C. After graduating from McKinley Technical High School in Washington, she attended Barnard College, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. She went on to earn her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, beginning a long career in academia. After teaching at East Stroudsburg University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania, she moved to Lancaster, and began teaching at Millersville University.
It was at Millersville where she would spend the next 35 years of her career. There, she founded the African American Studies Minor, and the Black Culture Celebration, contributing also to numerous other programs and institutes. She remained on the faculty at Millersville until her death, teaching courses until the end of summer and advising students well into the fall of 2018.
A lifelong Catholic, Rita was a parishioner, lector, Eucharistic minister, and member of the social justice committee at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Her faith and sense of justice guided her to overcome many of the hurdles set before her, and to devote her life to the service of others. Her namesake was St. Rita of Cascia, a patron of impossible causes – a role Dr. Smith-Wade-El embraced with fervor, as was Rita.
Her colleagues, students, and friends will remember her loving but no-nonsense attitude, her tireless work ethic, and her bottomless material and spiritual generosity. They will also remember her love of Motown music, of the color red (which covered her kitchen cabinets, her coats, her furniture, and her car), and of being right.
She is survived by her two sons - Ayodele Smith-Jackson (38), and Ismail-Smith-Wade-El (29), as well as countless students, friends, colleagues, and communities, which are less for her passing and more for what she has left behind.
Thursday, January 10, 2019 there will be a viewing starting at 5:30pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home located at 414 E. King St., Lancaster, PA 17602. At 7:30pm on Thursday there will be an Eastern Star Funeral Service followed by an Omega Omega Ceremony by the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at 8:00pm. Friday, January 11, 2019, the viewing time will begin at 6:00pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home. At 8:30pm there will be a rosary prayer service held by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas followed by Divine Office held by the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites – Harrisburg Chapter. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 11:00am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church located at 558 W. Walnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603 with Reverend Michael Messner as Celebrant. Guests will be received at the church between 10:00am and 11:00am. Following services, guest will be invited to a luncheon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Interment will be private.
Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home Obituary
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A professor of psychology and African-American Studies at Millersville University, Dr. Smith-Wade-El received many, many awards over the years including the prestigious Essence of Humanity Award presented by the Crispus Attucks Community Center. The award recognizes those who demonstrate remarkable human qualities including courage, love, strength, determination and persistence when dealing with adversity, beyond the requirements of their work. Strength. Love. Persistence. Those are the qualities that everyone familiar with Dr. Smith-Wade-El said that she brought, not only to campus, but to every encounter.
In March of this year, she was recognized at the 50th Black Student Association/Black Student Union Anniversary Celebration at Millersville University. In May she gave the graduate commencement address. In September I had the honor of joining hundreds from the community who came together to “Celebrate Rita” in Marauder Courts on campus.
Her courses at Millersville encompassed General Psychology, Psychology of Racism, Psychology of Religion, Psychology of African Americans, Human Relations, History and Systems of Psychology, Learning and Motivation, Cognitive Psychology, the Black Women and Human Growth and Development. Her additional responsibilities included: tutor coordinator, advisor for secondary education social studies majors with psychology option, co-op coordinator, certification evaluator, pre-law advisory committee, undecided advisor and colloquium coordinator.
Some of her research interests were race as a self-schema, racial identity, and self-reinforcement, stereotype threat, gender and racism. Dr. Smith-Wade-El also served as the director of Millersville's African-American Studies Minor and co-director of the Ethnic Studies Leaning Community Freshman Experience. She was published in the areas of Learned Helplessness, Race as a Self = Schema, African American History, Multicultural Education and Black Male-Female Relationships.
Since 1995, when the Living the Dream day of volunteering became a part of the local Martin Luther King Day observances, Dr. Smith-Wade-El was integral to its success. For most of those 20 years, she recruited the many volunteers who donate a day out of their lives to fulfill King's vision of community service.
Before coming to Millersville, Smith-Wade-El was a tenured faculty member of psychology in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. She also taught in women studies. She held teaching positions at East Stroudsburg State University, St. Joseph's University and the University of Pennsylvania. And, she was a consultant in the areas of Black Family, Male-Female Relationships, the Black Child, Development and Parenting, Racism, Race Heredity and IQ, the Black Woman, Black Psychology, Leadership, Stress Management, Group Developments and other topics for various private, city and state institutions. She has been involved with approximately 30 different organizations and has received numerous honors.
Dr. Smith-Wade-El attended Barnard College where she obtained her bachelor’s in psychology. She received both her master’s and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
A Lancaster resident for more than 30 years, Dr. Smith-Wade-El enjoyed books by Isaac Asimov and watching Alfred Hitchcock movies. She is a native of Washington, D.C., and is survived by two sons.
Information on funeral services will be forthcoming.
Warm regards,
Dr. Daniel A. Wubah
President, Millersville university
29 Dec 2018
Rita was born to James Edward and Eva Mae (born Stephens) Smith on October 1, 1948, in Washington, D.C. After graduating from McKinley Technical High School in Washington, she attended Barnard College, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. She went on to earn her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, beginning a long career in academia. After teaching at East Stroudsburg University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania, she moved to Lancaster, and began teaching at Millersville University.
It was at Millersville where she would spend the next 35 years of her career. There, she founded the African American Studies Minor, and the Black Culture Celebration, contributing also to numerous other programs and institutes. She remained on the faculty at Millersville until her death, teaching courses until the end of summer and advising students well into the fall of 2018.
A lifelong Catholic, Rita was a parishioner, lector, Eucharistic minister, and member of the social justice committee at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Her faith and sense of justice guided her to overcome many of the hurdles set before her, and to devote her life to the service of others. Her namesake was St. Rita of Cascia, a patron of impossible causes – a role Dr. Smith-Wade-El embraced with fervor, as was Rita.
Her colleagues, students, and friends will remember her loving but no-nonsense attitude, her tireless work ethic, and her bottomless material and spiritual generosity. They will also remember her love of Motown music, of the color red (which covered her kitchen cabinets, her coats, her furniture, and her car), and of being right.
She is survived by her two sons - Ayodele Smith-Jackson (38), and Ismail-Smith-Wade-El (29), as well as countless students, friends, colleagues, and communities, which are less for her passing and more for what she has left behind.
Thursday, January 10, 2019 there will be a viewing starting at 5:30pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home located at 414 E. King St., Lancaster, PA 17602. At 7:30pm on Thursday there will be an Eastern Star Funeral Service followed by an Omega Omega Ceremony by the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at 8:00pm. Friday, January 11, 2019, the viewing time will begin at 6:00pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home. At 8:30pm there will be a rosary prayer service held by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas followed by Divine Office held by the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites – Harrisburg Chapter. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 11:00am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church located at 558 W. Walnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603 with Reverend Michael Messner as Celebrant. Guests will be received at the church between 10:00am and 11:00am. Following services, guest will be invited to a luncheon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Interment will be private.
Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home Obituary
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A professor of psychology and African-American Studies at Millersville University, Dr. Smith-Wade-El received many, many awards over the years including the prestigious Essence of Humanity Award presented by the Crispus Attucks Community Center. The award recognizes those who demonstrate remarkable human qualities including courage, love, strength, determination and persistence when dealing with adversity, beyond the requirements of their work. Strength. Love. Persistence. Those are the qualities that everyone familiar with Dr. Smith-Wade-El said that she brought, not only to campus, but to every encounter.
In March of this year, she was recognized at the 50th Black Student Association/Black Student Union Anniversary Celebration at Millersville University. In May she gave the graduate commencement address. In September I had the honor of joining hundreds from the community who came together to “Celebrate Rita” in Marauder Courts on campus.
Her courses at Millersville encompassed General Psychology, Psychology of Racism, Psychology of Religion, Psychology of African Americans, Human Relations, History and Systems of Psychology, Learning and Motivation, Cognitive Psychology, the Black Women and Human Growth and Development. Her additional responsibilities included: tutor coordinator, advisor for secondary education social studies majors with psychology option, co-op coordinator, certification evaluator, pre-law advisory committee, undecided advisor and colloquium coordinator.
Some of her research interests were race as a self-schema, racial identity, and self-reinforcement, stereotype threat, gender and racism. Dr. Smith-Wade-El also served as the director of Millersville's African-American Studies Minor and co-director of the Ethnic Studies Leaning Community Freshman Experience. She was published in the areas of Learned Helplessness, Race as a Self = Schema, African American History, Multicultural Education and Black Male-Female Relationships.
Since 1995, when the Living the Dream day of volunteering became a part of the local Martin Luther King Day observances, Dr. Smith-Wade-El was integral to its success. For most of those 20 years, she recruited the many volunteers who donate a day out of their lives to fulfill King's vision of community service.
Before coming to Millersville, Smith-Wade-El was a tenured faculty member of psychology in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. She also taught in women studies. She held teaching positions at East Stroudsburg State University, St. Joseph's University and the University of Pennsylvania. And, she was a consultant in the areas of Black Family, Male-Female Relationships, the Black Child, Development and Parenting, Racism, Race Heredity and IQ, the Black Woman, Black Psychology, Leadership, Stress Management, Group Developments and other topics for various private, city and state institutions. She has been involved with approximately 30 different organizations and has received numerous honors.
Dr. Smith-Wade-El attended Barnard College where she obtained her bachelor’s in psychology. She received both her master’s and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
A Lancaster resident for more than 30 years, Dr. Smith-Wade-El enjoyed books by Isaac Asimov and watching Alfred Hitchcock movies. She is a native of Washington, D.C., and is survived by two sons.
Information on funeral services will be forthcoming.
Warm regards,
Dr. Daniel A. Wubah
President, Millersville university
29 Dec 2018
Rita Smith-Wade-El, 70, passed away early in the morning of Dec. 29, 2018, at her Lancaster city home, following a 10-year battle with triple-negative breast cancer. She was surrounded by family and friends at the time of her death.
Rita was born to James Edward and Eva Mae (born Stephens) Smith on October 1, 1948, in Washington, D.C. After graduating from McKinley Technical High School in Washington, she attended Barnard College, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. She went on to earn her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, beginning a long career in academia. After teaching at East Stroudsburg University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania, she moved to Lancaster, and began teaching at Millersville University.
It was at Millersville where she would spend the next 35 years of her career. There, she founded the African American Studies Minor, and the Black Culture Celebration, contributing also to numerous other programs and institutes. She remained on the faculty at Millersville until her death, teaching courses until the end of summer and advising students well into the fall of 2018.
A lifelong Catholic, Rita was a parishioner, lector, Eucharistic minister, and member of the social justice committee at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Her faith and sense of justice guided her to overcome many of the hurdles set before her, and to devote her life to the service of others. Her namesake was St. Rita of Cascia, a patron of impossible causes – a role Dr. Smith-Wade-El embraced with fervor, as was Rita.
Her colleagues, students, and friends will remember her loving but no-nonsense attitude, her tireless work ethic, and her bottomless material and spiritual generosity. They will also remember her love of Motown music, of the color red (which covered her kitchen cabinets, her coats, her furniture, and her car), and of being right.
She is survived by her two sons - Ayodele Smith-Jackson (38), and Ismail-Smith-Wade-El (29), as well as countless students, friends, colleagues, and communities, which are less for her passing and more for what she has left behind.
Thursday, January 10, 2019 there will be a viewing starting at 5:30pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home located at 414 E. King St., Lancaster, PA 17602. At 7:30pm on Thursday there will be an Eastern Star Funeral Service followed by an Omega Omega Ceremony by the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at 8:00pm. Friday, January 11, 2019, the viewing time will begin at 6:00pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home. At 8:30pm there will be a rosary prayer service held by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas followed by Divine Office held by the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites – Harrisburg Chapter. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 11:00am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church located at 558 W. Walnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603 with Reverend Michael Messner as Celebrant. Guests will be received at the church between 10:00am and 11:00am. Following services, guest will be invited to a luncheon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Interment will be private.
Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home Obituary
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A professor of psychology and African-American Studies at Millersville University, Dr. Smith-Wade-El received many, many awards over the years including the prestigious Essence of Humanity Award presented by the Crispus Attucks Community Center. The award recognizes those who demonstrate remarkable human qualities including courage, love, strength, determination and persistence when dealing with adversity, beyond the requirements of their work. Strength. Love. Persistence. Those are the qualities that everyone familiar with Dr. Smith-Wade-El said that she brought, not only to campus, but to every encounter.
In March of this year, she was recognized at the 50th Black Student Association/Black Student Union Anniversary Celebration at Millersville University. In May she gave the graduate commencement address. In September I had the honor of joining hundreds from the community who came together to “Celebrate Rita” in Marauder Courts on campus.
Her courses at Millersville encompassed General Psychology, Psychology of Racism, Psychology of Religion, Psychology of African Americans, Human Relations, History and Systems of Psychology, Learning and Motivation, Cognitive Psychology, the Black Women and Human Growth and Development. Her additional responsibilities included: tutor coordinator, advisor for secondary education social studies majors with psychology option, co-op coordinator, certification evaluator, pre-law advisory committee, undecided advisor and colloquium coordinator.
Some of her research interests were race as a self-schema, racial identity, and self-reinforcement, stereotype threat, gender and racism. Dr. Smith-Wade-El also served as the director of Millersville's African-American Studies Minor and co-director of the Ethnic Studies Leaning Community Freshman Experience. She was published in the areas of Learned Helplessness, Race as a Self = Schema, African American History, Multicultural Education and Black Male-Female Relationships.
Since 1995, when the Living the Dream day of volunteering became a part of the local Martin Luther King Day observances, Dr. Smith-Wade-El was integral to its success. For most of those 20 years, she recruited the many volunteers who donate a day out of their lives to fulfill King's vision of community service.
Before coming to Millersville, Smith-Wade-El was a tenured faculty member of psychology in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. She also taught in women studies. She held teaching positions at East Stroudsburg State University, St. Joseph's University and the University of Pennsylvania. And, she was a consultant in the areas of Black Family, Male-Female Relationships, the Black Child, Development and Parenting, Racism, Race Heredity and IQ, the Black Woman, Black Psychology, Leadership, Stress Management, Group Developments and other topics for various private, city and state institutions. She has been involved with approximately 30 different organizations and has received numerous honors.
Dr. Smith-Wade-El attended Barnard College where she obtained her bachelor’s in psychology. She received both her master’s and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
A Lancaster resident for more than 30 years, Dr. Smith-Wade-El enjoyed books by Isaac Asimov and watching Alfred Hitchcock movies. She is a native of Washington, D.C., and is survived by two sons.
Information on funeral services will be forthcoming.
Warm regards,
Dr. Daniel A. Wubah
President, Millersville university
29 Dec 2018
Rita was born to James Edward and Eva Mae (born Stephens) Smith on October 1, 1948, in Washington, D.C. After graduating from McKinley Technical High School in Washington, she attended Barnard College, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology. She went on to earn her doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, beginning a long career in academia. After teaching at East Stroudsburg University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania, she moved to Lancaster, and began teaching at Millersville University.
It was at Millersville where she would spend the next 35 years of her career. There, she founded the African American Studies Minor, and the Black Culture Celebration, contributing also to numerous other programs and institutes. She remained on the faculty at Millersville until her death, teaching courses until the end of summer and advising students well into the fall of 2018.
A lifelong Catholic, Rita was a parishioner, lector, Eucharistic minister, and member of the social justice committee at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Her faith and sense of justice guided her to overcome many of the hurdles set before her, and to devote her life to the service of others. Her namesake was St. Rita of Cascia, a patron of impossible causes – a role Dr. Smith-Wade-El embraced with fervor, as was Rita.
Her colleagues, students, and friends will remember her loving but no-nonsense attitude, her tireless work ethic, and her bottomless material and spiritual generosity. They will also remember her love of Motown music, of the color red (which covered her kitchen cabinets, her coats, her furniture, and her car), and of being right.
She is survived by her two sons - Ayodele Smith-Jackson (38), and Ismail-Smith-Wade-El (29), as well as countless students, friends, colleagues, and communities, which are less for her passing and more for what she has left behind.
Thursday, January 10, 2019 there will be a viewing starting at 5:30pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home located at 414 E. King St., Lancaster, PA 17602. At 7:30pm on Thursday there will be an Eastern Star Funeral Service followed by an Omega Omega Ceremony by the sisters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at 8:00pm. Friday, January 11, 2019, the viewing time will begin at 6:00pm at Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home. At 8:30pm there will be a rosary prayer service held by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas followed by Divine Office held by the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites – Harrisburg Chapter. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, January 12, 2019 at 11:00am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church located at 558 W. Walnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603 with Reverend Michael Messner as Celebrant. Guests will be received at the church between 10:00am and 11:00am. Following services, guest will be invited to a luncheon at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Interment will be private.
Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home Obituary
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A professor of psychology and African-American Studies at Millersville University, Dr. Smith-Wade-El received many, many awards over the years including the prestigious Essence of Humanity Award presented by the Crispus Attucks Community Center. The award recognizes those who demonstrate remarkable human qualities including courage, love, strength, determination and persistence when dealing with adversity, beyond the requirements of their work. Strength. Love. Persistence. Those are the qualities that everyone familiar with Dr. Smith-Wade-El said that she brought, not only to campus, but to every encounter.
In March of this year, she was recognized at the 50th Black Student Association/Black Student Union Anniversary Celebration at Millersville University. In May she gave the graduate commencement address. In September I had the honor of joining hundreds from the community who came together to “Celebrate Rita” in Marauder Courts on campus.
Her courses at Millersville encompassed General Psychology, Psychology of Racism, Psychology of Religion, Psychology of African Americans, Human Relations, History and Systems of Psychology, Learning and Motivation, Cognitive Psychology, the Black Women and Human Growth and Development. Her additional responsibilities included: tutor coordinator, advisor for secondary education social studies majors with psychology option, co-op coordinator, certification evaluator, pre-law advisory committee, undecided advisor and colloquium coordinator.
Some of her research interests were race as a self-schema, racial identity, and self-reinforcement, stereotype threat, gender and racism. Dr. Smith-Wade-El also served as the director of Millersville's African-American Studies Minor and co-director of the Ethnic Studies Leaning Community Freshman Experience. She was published in the areas of Learned Helplessness, Race as a Self = Schema, African American History, Multicultural Education and Black Male-Female Relationships.
Since 1995, when the Living the Dream day of volunteering became a part of the local Martin Luther King Day observances, Dr. Smith-Wade-El was integral to its success. For most of those 20 years, she recruited the many volunteers who donate a day out of their lives to fulfill King's vision of community service.
Before coming to Millersville, Smith-Wade-El was a tenured faculty member of psychology in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Temple University in Philadelphia. She also taught in women studies. She held teaching positions at East Stroudsburg State University, St. Joseph's University and the University of Pennsylvania. And, she was a consultant in the areas of Black Family, Male-Female Relationships, the Black Child, Development and Parenting, Racism, Race Heredity and IQ, the Black Woman, Black Psychology, Leadership, Stress Management, Group Developments and other topics for various private, city and state institutions. She has been involved with approximately 30 different organizations and has received numerous honors.
Dr. Smith-Wade-El attended Barnard College where she obtained her bachelor’s in psychology. She received both her master’s and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
A Lancaster resident for more than 30 years, Dr. Smith-Wade-El enjoyed books by Isaac Asimov and watching Alfred Hitchcock movies. She is a native of Washington, D.C., and is survived by two sons.
Information on funeral services will be forthcoming.
Warm regards,
Dr. Daniel A. Wubah
President, Millersville university
29 Dec 2018
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