Madeline Smith, known as Mardi, died over the weekend in an assisted living facility in Heber. She was 82.
A cause of death was not immediately available.
Friends describe Smith as an iconic figure in the Park City community in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Jim Lea, her friend of nearly 50 years, said Smith was one of the first people he met when he moved to Park City in 1975. They were neighbors and coworkers.
“Everyone really knew everyone in the ‘70s,” he said. “You lived with your coworkers; you saw them at the supermarket all the time – just a true small town.”
Lea said Smith was unfailingly optimistic.
“She really had an incredible sense of humor and was always joking around,” he said. “She never lost that humor under any circumstance: always upbeat, very positive.”
She was also an avid participant in community theater. Randy Barton, executive director of the Egyptian Theater, remembers performing alongside her in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
“Mardi, Madeline, was kind of our big star,” he said. “She starred in a lot of the early productions in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s and was very instrumental with the metamorphosis of theater in town.”
Smith’s college sweetheart, basketball star Lou Hudson, moved to Park City in 1984 to marry her. The couple was heavily involved in the community throughout their lives.
A fall about 20 years ago left Smith paralyzed, and she remained in a wheelchair until her death. Lea said her friends and neighbors stepped up to help care for her.
“She had so many friends that she drew from that pool of friends to help her out under her circumstances,” he said. “It took a village to help her.”
Barton said Smith was a beloved figure in Park City’s arts community.
“Park City always prides itself on its recreation,” Barton said. “But there’s a whole other world of arts and culture – of musicians and actors and dancers and poets and writers – and Madeline occupied that space well; was one of our heroes.”
Details about a memorial service have not yet been announced.
