Dortohy N. Smith

DORTOHY SMITH Obituary
Dorothy Nell (Wilson) Smith passed away peacefully in her home on Sunday June 9, 2024. Up until the end she was thankful for a life well-lived. She maintained her love of God; love for her family, as well as a love of education and music with grace, kindness, and compassion.
Dorothy was born August 4, 1933 in Austin, TX to the late Samuel J Wilson and Elene Horton. Austin, TX is where she grew up and attended public schools. After graduating from Anderson High School, she enrolled in Huston - Tillotson College and earned a Batchelor of Arts degree in Education in 1954. She met her soulmate Herman Clifton Smith; they fell in love and made a commitment to God and each other to be husband and wife on December 22, 1956. They found their greatest commonality in their shared hope and faith in Jesus Christ, and this was the foundation of everything they would do in life from that point on. Three children were born from their union; Rosalyn, Annette and Herman Jr.
Throughout the many chapters in Dorothy Smith's life, she has been affectionately known as "Dot", "Dottie", "Dorothy Nell", "Mom", "Mrs. Smith", "Grannie", and "Grammie". Her long full life can best be encapsulated by Faith, Family, Education and Music. In her 90 years here, she experienced an abundance of each.
Her faith and love of music were solidified during her youth while attending Goodwill Baptist Church where she gave her life to Christ and was baptized by the late Rev E. B. Bradshaw. She attended Sunday School and Baptist Training Union. She began playing piano for the youth; they formed a singing group and ministered throughout the city. Dorothy Nell had discovered her passion and it never wavered.
When Dorothy's young family relocated to San Antonio, they united with the Coliseum Park Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Rev T. I. Ray. She immediately became active in the church ministries. If she saw a need, she would not hesitate to fill that need. The church needed a musician and she assumed the role of playing the piano and continued in this capacity as one of the church musicians for 40 plus years. During her almost 70 years as a member at Coliseum, Dorothy had the opportunity to serve as an instructor as well as a student in each of the Christian Education components of the church (Sunday School, Baptist Training Union, and Vacation Bible School). She was involved in the Ministers and Deacons Wives and the Junior and Senior Missions and helped coordinate the Easter, Christmas, and Black History programs and pageants. As a servant leader Dorothy was able to play a major role in impacting so many lives both young and old. She always gave generously of her time, talent, and treasure for the benefit of others.
The value of education was instilled in "Dot" from an early age. One of her first jobs after college was teaching kindergarten at the 19th Street Baptist Church in Austin, TX. Dorothy was a devoted kindergarten teacher who touched the lives of countless students. She taught in the San Antonio Independent School District for 30 plus years at Riverside Park Elementary School, before she retired in 1994. She realized how important a solid educational foundation was for a child's future success and well-being. She believed lessons learned during one's formative years could ripple through generations. Her passion was to make learning as fun as possible and adopted many innovative approaches to engage young learners. She became certified in Teaching Phonetics. She was known for her creative teaching methods and parents would often request their children be placed is "Mrs. Smith's" class. The younger generations would most likely refer to her as a "modern day influencer".
Family was also very important to Dorothy. She was an awesome daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She always doted on her family and was happiest when they surrounded her. As a young child she was protective of her baby sister Sadie and if necessary, she was "not" afraid to fight if the situation called for it; and most if not, all times she would come out on the winning end of things. She loved to have fun. Dorothy's family knew that if they expected her to visit for any length of time, they must have a cable package that included a Game Show Network because she enjoyed watching games shows. Other pastimes after retirement were traveling and playing thought-provoking games; from Sudoku to Bible Trivia to Monopoly or any word search game. She would travel with her family to visit other family members; or to Las Vegas, NV, just because.
Dorothy was very community-minded. She was a Huston - Tillotson alumni and participated in many of their activities. She volunteered at Christus Santa Rosa Hospital downtown on the Pediatric Oncology floor. She fell in love with the many children and families she met. Her caring and loving spirit provided them comfort during the times they shared together. Dorothy was a "Friends of the Carver Branch Library". She volunteered her time and talent by helping with cultural and educational activities, raising money via the book sale to support the Eastside branch and assure that its library services were developed and publicized. Dorothy became a member of "City Wide Widows with a Hattitude" in 2009. She served as the treasure until her health failed. Besides worshipping together some of her other favorite activities included shopping, traveling in and out of the city, and line dancing. She also loved that they valued fun and good fellowship because of shared interest.
Dorothy is survived by her daughter and son in-law Rosalyn (Benjamin) Mitchell, San Antonio, TX; sister, Sadie Darby, Austin, TX; grandchildren, Marques (Khristina) Mitchell, Katy, TX; Mychal (Aryon) Mitchell, Pearland, TX; Morgan Miller, Houston, TX; great-grandchildren, Cydney, Myles and, Malcolm Mitchell, Katy, TX; Gabriel and Evanne Mitchell, Pearland, TX and a host of other relatives and family friends who will never forget the joy and love she brought to their lives. She was preceded in death by her parents Samuel J Wilson and Elene Horton; her husband Herman Clifton Smith Sr.; a daughter Mable Annette (Smith) Miller; a son Herman Clifton Smith Jr. and a son in-law Lewis Miller Jr. Dorothy Smith's passing has left an enormous hole in the lives of those who love her, but her legacy of faith, family, education and her love of music will carry on in the many lives she touched.
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