Sarah Shael Smith Malino died in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sept. 7 at the age of 77.
The daughter of Beth and Edward Smith, she was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and raised in Kansas City, Missouri.
Sarah is survived by her three siblings, Judith Smith (Larry Blum), Deborah Smith (Mark Myron) and Jim Smith (Cathy Brady); her children, Tamar Malino, Daniel (and Jill Malino), and David (and Yvonne Malino); and her nine grandchildren, Coby, Aviel, Jax, and Yair Malino-Goldstein, Meyrav, Ezra, and Levi Malino, and Esaac and Zamir Malino.
Sarah graduated from Wellesley College in 1967 and later received her doctorate in U.S. history from Columbia University. She was a professor of history at Guilford College for more than 30 years, focusing on U.S. and women’s history. Sarah served as the History Department’s chair and was a close collaborator with her colleagues, a mentor and a thesis advisor for many students.
Sarah had a strong commitment to racial justice, women’s empowerment, gender equality and Jewish life. Among her many passions, Sarah was a volunteer at Beth David Synagogue in Greensboro, the Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro, the Triad Jewish Film Festival and the Guilford Anti-Racism Alliance.
Sarah was a loving, joyfully devoted mother and grandmother and took immense pleasure in creating deep and lasting relationships with family, friends and colleagues in her community.
Funeral services were held on Sept. 10, followed by burial at the Greensboro Hebrew Cemetery.
Donations can be made to the Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro or the Greensboro Jewish Federation. The family would like to acknowledge the nursing staff at Moses Cone Memorial Hospital and Wellspring for their dedicated care.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AdvantageGreensboro.com for the Malino family.
