Annajean "Skitty" Goldsmith 1932-2008
Skitty Goldsmith, wife of Hugh, was a partner in the business from the beginning in 1958. During the first 20 years of the company’s life Skitty was in the background, working on "the books", typing contracts and letters at night, but foremost: loved and nurtured the nine children she and Hugh raised. After the first 20 years of the company’s existence, Skitty joined the day to day, and worked until the day she died. There is much to say about this remarkable woman, and her contribution to Goldsmith, but first a little background.
Skitty was raised in the world of Family Business. Being the only girl born to the Hansberry family for nearly a generation, she was adored by her father who would take her to work in the off-hours to spend time with her.
When Skitty’s favorite way to pass time was to play with the cash register, her mother told her "...if you want to play with that thing, learn to use it right!" And so developed one of the fastest 10 key operators and typists, anyone has ever known. Skitty worked in her parent’s business until Hugh G. Goldsmith and Associates, Inc. came into being. At that point her focus was on the business she and Hugh started, as well as the raising of the family.
When the kids were raised, Skitty went back to the skill set she knew well: Managing the office.
By now, the computer age had begun, and unlike many of her age, she welcomed it with open arms. Learned it, embraced it, and even challenged it. She took the tools being used at the time and molded them into her own version of a data base for filing and document tracking that became renowned within our industry.
For more than 30 years, Skitty was the constant of the office, acting as the heart and oversight of the information tracking system that she created. She loved her work and who she worked with.
Her impact on people was beyond measure. Although over the last several years, most of Skitty's day-to-day administrative duties had been integrated into the hands of others, the hole that is left in this company, in our hearts, and in our daily lives is profound.