Deborah Kay Braley Smith

Our beloved mother, MeeMaw, wife, sister, aunt and friend passed away on Saturday, October 30, 2021, in Bulverde, Texas. A visitation will be held for Deborah from 1:00 to 1:30pm, followed by a Celebration of Life service until to 2:00pm on Friday, November 12, 2021 at the Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home in New Braunfels, Texas.  Please dress casually per family request.  A private family burial will be held at a future date at the Post Mountain Cemetery in Burnet County where her parents are laid to rest.

Deborah Kay Braley was born January 9, 1949 in Gonzales, Texas to Herman H. and Virginia McClain Braley. Her father was in the Army stationed at Camp Ritchie for most of the War and then served in Asia and Pacific Theaters. Once returning stateside, Herman located his family back in his hometown of Gonzales, Texas where Deborah made her debut. In 1957 the family moved to Lockhart where Deborah became highly involved in her trombone playing and marching band activities, and continued that in the parent’s final move to Burnet where she fell in love with her high school sweetheart, Douglas Smith. She graduated from Burnet High School in 1967, and the following year they were married on August 27, 1968, at the First Baptist Church of Burnet and were married for 53 years until her passing.

She cherished her daughter, Lauren’s marching band days with her husband, father and friends during many competitions throughout the great State of Texas. Her family remembered her as loving fishing with her daddy and brother, playing some shark-like pool games, “hitting the road” and exploring tombstones and flipping fossils, reading about Texas History and researching her own Texas History with genealogy.  Her other interests were Roman History, Greek Mythology, gardening, antiques, museums, Texas wildflowers, and keeping up with her friends through social media.  The family agrees that this is the most intelligent and knowledgeable woman any of us could ever get to know or have the pleasure of meeting. Deborah proudly graduated at the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Anthropology in 1973, but pursued a career in the real estate and mortgage business and finally retiring from USAA in 2012 after 15+ years of service. She was the most easy-going human you could ever encounter, and if you earned her trust or admiration, you had a friend for life.

Deborah was preceded in death by her father, Herman, mother Virginia, brother David Braley, and her nephew LCpl Cody Stanley. 

She is survived by her loving husband, Douglas Smith, daughter Lauren (Chris) Gelina, her beautiful granddaughter Elizabeth “Bethy” Kay Gelina, and nephews David (Stephanie) Braley Jr., Colin Braley, and her niece Wendi (Robert) Stanley, and their respective children and grandchildren.

 

Now is the time of bereavement for us who are left behind.  It is with heavy hearts that I, and her family, say goodbye to my beloved mother, Deborah Braley Smith.  We will never forget her constant love and many kindnesses, and she will be greatly missed by those who knew her.

 

Please sign the guestbook at www.doeppenschmidtfuneralhome.com