Cara Coddington Smith Walker, age 80, passed away surrounded by family and friends on October 12, 2024. She is survived by her twin brother, William Whitney Smith Jr., her children Page Walker Buck and L. Gordon (Vanessa Turner Barnaik) Walker IV, her grandchildren, Nina Coddington and Oliver Woolsey Buck, her step-grandchildren Julian and Maxwell Barnaik, her sister-in-law, Lindsay Huffman Smith, 14 nieces and nephews, 17 great nieces and nephews and 5 great-greats. Cara is predeceased by her sister Joyce Smith Corrêa-Meyer, her brother, Joseph Hudson Plumb Smith, and her great-nephew, Cos Villari.

Cara and her twin, Whitney, were born while their father, William Whitney Smith, was serving as a lieutenant in World War II unaware that he had become a father. He was imprisoned in Poland until he escaped through Russia and arrived home to meet his toddler-age twins.

Growing up with Valley Forge National Park in the backyard, Cara developed a love of all things outdoors. She enjoyed camping, canoeing, rafting, and spending her summers on Long Beach Island, Branns Mill Pond, and Moosehead Lake in Maine. When not near water, she could often be found riding the tractor in her bathing suit around the house in Phoenixville or playing squash.

Cara graduated from Agnes Irwin School in 1961 and maintained regular contact with several friends for over 60 years, including Rika Street Cornwell. She got her first job after a friend from her professional training class said that she would not be able to get a job at the prestigious Townsend, Elliott & Munson without knowing how to type. As many of us can imagine, she was hired on the spot!

Cara loved to compete in all things, playing field hockey, basketball, and baseball at Irwins. Her competitive spirit persisted throughout her life, earning her an international title in 1995 as consolation winner at the Women's World Doubles Squash tournament. Cara also loved a good card game and regularly won both the family Monopoly games and the lobster races.

Cara was also supremely creative with a love of design. She painted and sold custom ceramics, designed arrangements for the Philadelphia Flower Show, sold decorative accessories at the Devon Horse Show, started the Coddington House Bed & Breakfast, and worked for several interior designers in the Philadelphia area.

Most notably, Cara was loved by many, always surrounded by friends. She also enjoyed being Dame Maggie Smith's doppelganger.

Cara's proudest achievement was raising her children and grandchildren, often serving in loco parentis to many of their friends, especially the class of '89 Haverford boys.

Cara would want us to carry her indomitable spirit wherever we go, always remembering to add fun, adventure, and a dash of trouble. Please join us in doing so on Sunday, October 27, 2024, at 1:00pm for a celebration of life at WellSprings Unitarian Universalist Congregation (held at The Montgomery School), 1141 Kimberton Road in Chester Springs - reception to follow. A live stream will be provided for friends from afar.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Cara's memory may be made to the Valley Forge Park Alliance . Cara grew up in Port Kennedy, was married at the Valley Forge Memorial Chapel, and has spent the majority of her life in and around this area.