Esther May Smillie passed away on February 1, 2013, going gently in her sleep. Esther was born on May 4, 1919 in Columbus, Ohio. Her parents, Walter and Inez Landacre, brought her to California when she was six months old.
She graduated from Sweetwater Union High School in Chula Vista in 1937. Two years later, she married Lowell D. (L.D.) Short at her parents ranch in Poway. She raised three boys, Lowell R. (Bud), James A. (Jim), and John W. Short. Esther and her family traveled widely with the U.S. Air Force, settling in Highland in 1969.
In her "retirement," Esther owned the Bell (of Highland) and operated that business with L.D. for the next five years. She then volunteered with the Highland Citizen's Patrol, proudly serving for the next 20 years.
She then "retired" to raise her granddaughter, Olivia, until she was two years old. Esther is survived by her son John of Crestline; granddaughter Olivia of Redlands; sister Naomi of San Diego, and many, many friends and relatives both near and far."