VISTA -- Longtime city resident Emily Sexsmith, known to many in Vista for her impeccable style and inexhaustible generosity, has died, friends and family said Monday.

Sexsmith died Saturday of what appeared to be a massive heart attack or stroke, her nephew, Jeff Dippel said. She was 94.

During the more than seven decades that she lived in Vista, Sexsmith tirelessly supported local schools, charitable groups and civic organizations, helping the small North County town blossom into a thriving city of more than 94,000.

Sexsmith was found unconscious in her kitchen around 11 a.m. Saturday. She was transported to Tri-City Medical Center but efforts to revive her were not successful, Dippel said.

To those who knew her, Sexsmith was the ever-present symbol of the city's "down home" roots, said Peggy Reiber, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Vista.

Born May 1, 1911, in Edgewood, Pa., Emily moved to Vista in 1932. At that time, it was a city of fewer than 1,000 residents and her husband, George, owned Sexsmith's grocery on South Santa Fe Avenue with his father.

Emily and George Sexsmith ran the market until 1958. During the Great Depression, they would often give groceries to those in need with no expectation that they would ever be paid back, friends said.

"That kind of thing was so unusual," said Bob Campbell, a city councilman and fellow Rotarian. "They were hurting themselves, but that didn't mean they weren't going to help others."

Sexsmith was part of the generation that helped transform Vista into what it is today, said Larry Sundram, president of the Rotary Club of Vista.

Though she never had children, the community became Sexsmith's family. She donated time and money to countless other civic and educational groups, including the Rotary Club, the Boys and Girls Club, Vista High School, Palomar College and the North County Scots.

At Sexsmith's surprise 90th birthday party in 2001, former Mayor Gloria McClellan asked her how many local organizations she had helped over the years.

"I just can't remember them all," Sexsmith replied.

Stories of Sexsmith's generosity flow readily from the lips of those who knew her.

"She was just one of the most gracious ladies that there ever was," said Marjorie Cosh, a friend of 52 years.

Friend Jerry Flynt recalled when she bought a new bicycle for an Eagle Scout after learning that his had been stolen.

Sundram recalled the warm and gracious manner in which Sexsmith welcomed him to the community five years ago.

"It was just a treat to know someone who was that articulate and alive and vibrant," he said.

Sexsmith is featured in the Vista Historical Museum's Hall of Fame and her likeness is part of the 562-foot Vistacado Parade Mural downtown. In 2001, McClellan proclaimed May 1 as Emily Sexsmith Day.

Despite calls from family and friends for her to slow down, Sexsmith never ran out of energy. She recently had her drivers license renewed, Dippel said.

"Every party that I went to, she was always dressed to the nines, in all her finery, looking great and charming the people," Sundram said.

Her biggest complaint about growing older was that she didn't have time to do all the things she wanted to do, Dippel said.

"She was one of those people you thought would go on forever," Flynt said.

Funeral services for Sexsmith have not yet been set. Allen Bros. in Vista is handling the arrangements.

Contact staff writer Craig TenBroeck at (760) 631-6621 or ctenbroeck@nctimes.com.