She was born on August 15, 1952 in Niskayuna, Denise was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and pet owner. She loved her chow-chows! Denise worked with her brother at Dino's Pizza, she was a card specialist with the NYS Credit Union League, and retired as office manager at Princetown Cable. Denise was an asset to each company for whom she worked.

Denise loved to garden and decorate her home. Friends and neighbors would always remark how beautiful and peaceful it was. With her husband Doug, she traveled all across the country in search of rocks.

She could be found in a stream on a backcountry road in Arkansas to the Grand Canyon looking for the perfect rock! In her children, Denise instilled her love for the great outdoors by camping every summer in the Adirondacks right up to three weeks prior to her passing. She may be the only Gammy who has ever waded in an ice cold mountain stream with her grandchildren and shown them how to smash it open to reveal its inner beauty! Denise just always made everything more beautiful and fun wherever she went. She will be missed by all.

Denise is survived by her adoring husband, Douglas W. Smith, her brother Dean DeCesare and her children: Kerrianne (Corey Lustig), Dougie (Melissa), and Sabatino (Lolymar). She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Lakota, Skye, Rayne, Raevynne, Madison, Avangeline, Myles, Sabby and Mateo, as well as many cousins.

She was predeceased in death by her father Sabatino DeCesare, her brother Sab DeCesare, h.