Clara Ferree Smith; ‘Joy Box’ Creator

Clara Ferree Smith, a Leisure Village resident whose intricately fashioned “joy boxes” earned her recognition from former First Lady Barbara Bush, died Friday in Camarillo after an extended illness. She was 85.

Smith was a teacher in the Santa Monica school district for 20 years, teaching English, drama and history.

She and her husband, the late Dr. Wales E. Smith, minister of Santa Monica Christian Church, retired to Leisure Village in 1972, but the couple continued to be active in church work. She served as an organist, choir member and teacher in several churches where Dr. Smith was an assistant pastor.

But her son, Ken Wales Smith, producer of the CBS television series “Christy,” said his mother was best known for her “joy boxes.” He said she sent 10,000 such boxes to hospital patients, friends and public servants around the country.

Smith asked stores to give her books of old wallpaper samples and carefully cut and folded the samples into small boxes that could be used to hold jewelry and keepsakes. Her son said she continued to make the boxes even though she suffered a disfiguring cancer in her later years and was homebound.

“She just gave them freely--they were joy,” he said.

He said his mother sent some of the boxes to Barbara Bush in 1991 and received a personal letter from the First Lady. It read in part: “Thank you so much for the beautiful joy boxes that you so cleverly crafted. What a wonderful idea! I’m sure that your thoughtfulness has brought great joy to many people during your life. I am glad that you have touched my life by sharing your wonderful creations with me.”

Aside from joy boxes, the Leisure Village resident gave travel and history lectures and had a collection of over 400 religious paintings of the Madonna.

“She was an extraordinary lady,” Ken Wales Smith said. “She was a artist, she was a fashion designer, she did drawings. . . . She could do anything.”

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. today at Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary, 1075 E. Daily Drive, Camarillo. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. in Inglewood Park Cemetery, 720 E. Florence, Inglewood.

A memorial service and luncheon buffet are planned at 11 a.m. Thursday at Ventura First Christian Church, 38 Teloma Drive, Ventura.