MARY LUCILLE SMITH

MARY LUCILLE SMITH

Sept. 28, 1922 - Oct. 26, 2013

Mary Lucille, known as Lucille by most of her friends and family, was an over 70 year resident of the Imperial Valley. She seldom left her desert home and treasured the lifestyle and easy pace of the agricultural community. However, she did depart from the desert in her youth, to take her first job at Fort Ord during World War II. Returning to the desert after serving her country, she met and married Hubert "Barney" Smith in 1946. They were married 47 years and lived in various places in the desert including Imperial, Westmoreland, and Brawley.
Lucille loved children and participated in the upbringing of many, including her two nieces, Leslie Littrell and Ruth Littrell. She had a close relationship with her daughter-in-law Pati Raffaelli, and was blessed with grandchildren Ricky and Isaac. This year she was also blessed with a great-granddaughter, Isabella, daughter of Isaac. She was devoted to her church and her neighbors and never left the house that she didn't see someone she knew, keeping up with friends by remembering childrens' names and asking about the extended family; throughout her 91 years she volunteered her time in many church and community activities. She retired from Holly Sugar and kept working as a bookkeeper until she was 80, but she would tell you that her favorite jobs were volunteering for the church and community organizations. Among her volunteer jobs were: five years as a secretary for a family counseling service in the desert, assisting the startup of a daycare service at the Westmoreland Presbyterian Church as well as vacation bible school, volunteering at the Brawley Community center teaching children how to read, and with administrative tasks at Brawley First Baptist Church. One of her infrequent trips away from desert took her on an adventure to the Holy Land with a Billy Graham church group; she spoke fondly of this trip throughout her life. She was a member of Eastern Star and Barney was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Brawley. She loved to cook meals for her family and enjoyed crocheting as hobby. Among Lucille's accomplishments in her life, her most remembered will be her giving spirit.
She is survived by her brother Joseph Phillips and sister Ann Littrell of San Diego.
Brief graveside services will be held at Riverview Cemetery in Brawley, CA, on Friday, November 1, 2013 at 1 p.m. A reception will follow from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Gateway Church of Brawley.