Meg Oates Smith
October 15, 1958 – December 28, 2014

Meg Oates Smith, 56, of Waco, passed away December 28, 2014. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, January 3 at 10 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Waco, with burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery. The family invites you to the visitation on Friday, January 2, 2015 at 6 p.m. at Oak Crest Funeral Home, 4520 Bosque Boulevard, Waco.

For the classics, she turned to Julia Childs. To spice things up, Paul Prudhomme was her choice. And for foolproof entertaining, her favorite was Barefoot Contessa. But to those who know her, Margaret Oates Smith is our first choice and favorite chef extraordinaire. Born October 15, 1958, she brought a double recipe of sugar and spice to every life she touched.

Meg grew up in Waco, attended Vanguard Preparatory School and the University of Texas, where she graduated cum laude earning a degree in special education. Meg taught school briefly in Dallas before she began what would be a lifelong love and career as a caterer. Meg attended cooking school in Paris and Washington DC and worked as a caterer in Dallas and Waco. In June 1992, Meg’s precious son and future sous-chef Will Bauer was born. Meg loved Will to infinity and beyond and together they perfected the chocolate chip cookie.

When Will began high school, Meg added real estate agent to her recipe of successes and enjoyed working with Kelly Realtors. In 2012, Meg’s team expanded when she met her soul-mate Tom, a master griller, and his dear children Kelsie and Karlson. A devout Christian, Meg was happiest in the kitchen creating chocolate masterpieces and delivering her creations to her church, schools, family, and many dear friends. Meg poured love and prayer into her cooking, and served the Lord in this ministry for all her adult life. Meg was active with numerous organizations, all of which strived to make peoples’ lives a little bit better. After long and courageous battles with cancer and heart disease, Meg joined the Lord she loved so.

Her amazing personality, glowing smile and joie de vivre will be forever missed by those she leaves on earth: her parents Betsy and Julian Oates; her siblings Julie, Hal and Kirsten Oates; her husband Tom; their children Will, Kelsie and Karlson; nephews Philip and Hal Koelsch; aunts, uncle, cousins, a plethora of beloved friends, and loyal pets Trudy and Winston.

In lieu of flowers please send memorials to the American Cancer Society, St. Alban’s Episcopal Church or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

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