Mary Lee Smithers, 90, of Delmar, died Monday, May 28, 2012 at Salisbury Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born on the family farm in Quantico, a daughter of the late Thomas and Marie (Layfield) Bowden. Like many children of her generation, she left school early to help on the family farm. Once she got a little older she worked as a seamstress for the Manhattan Shirt Factory. After working at the shirt factory she worked many years as a sales clerk for Sears & Roebuck in Salisbury, a job she was very good at. Mary Lee enjoyed camping with her late husband and was a past member of the Delmarva Camping Association. Her true passion was family and she looked forward to family outings. She also loved children, animals and flowers. She always put the needs of others before hers and was always there to help those in need, especially her family, friends and charitable organizations that help veterans or the hearing impaired. She is survived by 2 daughters, Marianna Bromley and her husband, Alvin of Snow Hill and Patricia Gail Willey and her husband, Thomas of Delmar; many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; 3 sisters, Carrie Lecates of Newark, Lottie Neil of Delmar and Nettie Thomas of Delmar; and 2 brothers, Roland Bowden (Joyce) of Salisbury and Ernest Bowden (Jean) of Parsonsburg. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Thomas Smithers, who passed in 1996; a daughter, Virginia Marie Green; 4 sisters, Mildred Lane, Anna Bratten, Virginia Byrd and June Bowden; and 2 brothers, John Bowden and Thomas Bowden. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Springhill Memory Gardens near Hebron. The Reverend Howard Travers will officiate. Memorial contributions may be made in her memory to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 163, Salisbury, MD 21803 or the Hearing Loss Foundation of America, 7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1200, Bethesda, MD 20814. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.shortfh.com.