Celestia Smithgall

SMITHGALL, Celestia Bailey

Celestia "Lessie" Bailey Smithgall, co-founder of The Times with her husband Charles, and widely known for her philanthropy, devotion to the arts and her community passed away at her Gainesville home Friday, June 25, 2021. She was 110 years old. Celestia Bailey (Lessie) Smithgall was born April 1, 1911, in East Point, GA, to Charles Thomas and Elma Elizabeth Bailey nee Wootan, but grew up in Atlanta's West End.

She graduated cum laude from Girls High School in 1929 and entered Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia to cultivate her love for writing. In college she served as president of Women's Student Government, earned the Sigma Delta Chi journalism award and was a member of Theta Sigma Chi Women in Journalism, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority.

After graduating as a Phi Beta Kappa in 1933, she began work as an advertising copywriter at radio station WGST. There she met her future husband, Charles Smithgall, an announcer. They married Oct. 27, 1934.

The Smithgalls founded the Gainesville Daily Times Jan. 26, 1947. Lessie had written for the Atlanta Journal Sunday magazine and assumed a columnist's role on the Gainesville paper. The Smithgalls homeplace property in 2001 became Atlanta Botanical Gardens, a Smithgall Woodland Legacy, a gift from Lessie and her husband.

Lessie was one of the founders and first president of The Arts Council organized in 1970. The Smithgalls purchased Gainesville Midland Depot property and renovated it into what is now the Arts Council Smithgall Arts Center. Lessie helped purchase the old Gainesville First Methodist Church building to serve as a performing arts complex.

She was a trustee of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and friend of director Robert Shaw for many years. Forty years ago, Lessie created a series for an annual visit from the orchestra to perform in Gainesville. She also organized the Georgia Sponsors for the Atlanta Symphony, was a trustee for Woodruff Arts Alliance. The Smithgalls were recipients of the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Progress and Service.

She collaborated with Ed Cabell, director of Gainesville College Theater to form Gainesville Theater Alliance. They were prime movers, in forming the Georgia Citizens for the Arts. Lessie was also appointed to the Georgia Arts Council.

A tennis player since age 12, Lessie had tennis courts built behind her house and played until she was 89 years old.

She donated funds for a tennis center at Brenau University. She was a trustee emeritus. She twice received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Brenau in 1984 and in 2009 for Family Philanthropy in Science and Ecology. At the Peabody Awards annual ceremonies Lessie has been recognized as the last living founder of the awards.

The Smithgalls help found the North Georgia Community Foundation in 1985, and Lessie was named the organization's Philanthropist of the Year in 2007. She has been a long time, active member at First Baptist Gainesville, and served as a Sunday school teacher. She established the Charles T. Bailey and Elizabeth S. Watts chair at Georgia Tech for Zoo Atlanta in memory of her father and daughter.

She has been a member of the Junior League of Gainesville-Hall County, and been active in Gainesville Children's Theater, Boys and Girls Club, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, Gainesville Chorale, Northeast Georgia History Center, Northeast Georgia Medical Center and Hall County Library. Lessie has been active in the arts and the garden club of Blue Hill, Maine, where she maintained a vacation home.

In 2008, she wrote her "story," titled "I Took the Fork," a reference to baseball great Yogi Berra's famous quote, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Besides her parents, Mrs. Smithgall was preceded in death by her husband Charles and daughter Elizabeth "Bay" Smithgall Watts.

Survivors are sons, Charles Augustus Smithgall III (Sally "Griff" Griffitts Smithgall), John Frederick Smithgall (Elaine Edmondson Smithgall) and James Thurmond Smithgall; grandchildren, Charles "Chas" Augustus Smithgall IV, (Lizeth "Liz" Arizmendi Smithgall) Meghan Griffitts Smithgall, Jessica Leigh Smithgall Crocker (Michael Crocker) , Jonathan Frederick Smithgall, Jason Aaron Smithgall, David William Smithgall; great-grandchildren, William Aaron Smithgall, Charles "Carlos" Augustus Smithgall V, Sofia Griffitts Smithgall, Santiago Hector Smithgall, Jackson Ian Crocker.

Funeral services for Celestia (Lessie) Bailey Smithgall, are scheduled for 3 PM Saturday, July 10, at First Baptist Church, Green Street. Interment will be at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta. A private family reception will be held immediately following the service.

Memorials can be sent to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Botanical Gardens-Gainesville, or to the Semper Fi Fund for wounded soldiers. Those wishing to send online condolences to the family may do so at littledavenport.com. Little & Davenport Funeral Home and Crematory, 355 Dawsonville Highway, SW, Gainesville, GA, 30501, is in charge of funeral arrangements.