Wedding Anniversary

Remembering Sanford Smith, Honoring Patricia Smith

Sandy and Pat Smith are the parents of Jennifer Knapp, one of AIU’s founders. Their financial support of AIU kept it solvent while we it grew as an organization.
They attended AIU’s first conference in 2018 and were so happy and pleased to meet so many. I don’t think they realized until then how impactful their contributions had been. I’m so happy they were able to see that.

My mom and dad were prime examples of how to live life while giving back to others. As a child I watched as they helped many and volunteered for many different causes. They did this without expectations of anything in return and made it look easy. My dad passed on August 16, 2021 at the age of 96, mom will be 95 in 2024. I picked this date to honor their wedding anniversary and the 63 years they spent together.

A favorite memory of mine was Thanksgiving when I was in middle school. Mom and Dad had invited some international students and families. Most all who’d been invited showed up with friends. Soon our table was overflowing. My dad found more tables and chairs and I helped my mom look for more food. We raided the panty and freezer to be sure we had enough. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun while feeling that a Thanksgiving was so authentic.