Lois Pearce Smith

Lois Pearce Smith, 77, of Raleigh lost her battle with cancer on Oct. 12, 2014 with her family by her side. Lois was born in Raleigh on Feb. 20, 1937 to the late Willis Royall Pearce and Mellie Daniels Pearce. Lois grew up in Manteo and enjoyed her many visits with family in Rolesville. Lois and Bryan Smith were married in Morocco, North Africa on July 19, 1958. They have lived in Raleigh for the past 50 years with their children and grandchildren. Many wonderful memories with Lois have been shared in Raleigh and at their second home on the Outer Banks (Dare and Currituck Counties). Lois was extremely proud of her lineage as a maternal granddaughter of John T. Daniels, the photographer of the First Flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright in Kitty Hawk on Dec. 17, 1903. She served as a respected leader, loyal supporter and Board Member of the First Flight Society. Lois attended Meredith College and Wake Forest College and was a proud member of the first graduating class from the new campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. Lois first taught at Dr. W.T. Griggs High School in Poplar Branch. She retired from the Wake County Public School System (Aycock Junior High and Ligon Middle School) where she lovingly shared her passion for learning with thousands of students over her thirty-plus year career. Lois had an avid appreciation for cultural events, history, reading and travel and imparted these qualities to her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed attending the N.C. Symphony, Seniors supper club at the Outer Banks with friends and family, teachers night out, cheering for her beloved Wake Forest University, and weekly trivia night while keeping up on current events through newspapers and Fox News. Granny is survived by her husband, Bryan Smith and their four children, Bryan Anders Andy (Cindy) of Oxford, (Andrew and Kyle Leavitt, Bryan, Beau, Brycyn and Brady) Lydia Madge Waterman (Tory) of Raleigh (Zachary and Shaye), Lisa Ellstrom (Steve) of Raleigh (Bryan and Jameson Lincoln) and Jason Adam (Sherrie) of Wake Forest (Adalyn, Jason, Jr. Jake and Morgan). Lois is also survived by her in-laws Sammy and Jackie Smith of Kitty Hawk, and their four daughters who have lovingly cared for her during her illness and Chet Brigidini of Fairfax, Va. and his daughter and son. Lois was predeceased by her younger sister, Margaret Pearce Brigidini. The family will receive friends on Thursday, Oct. 16 from 6-9 p.m. at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Raleigh. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. at Powells Point Christian Church in Harbinger. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the John T. Daniels Scholarship Fund c/o OBX Community Foundation, 13 Skyline Road, Southern Shores, N.C. 27949. Arrangements under the care of the Cremation Society of N.C.