Geraldine Wiley

Geraldine “Geri” Smith Wiley was born in Hillsboro, Texas to Jessie Mae and Laymon Smith, Sr. on November 2, 1946.

She graduated from Vernon High School and Vernon Regional Junior College (School of Vocational Nursing), and worked as a forensic and psychiatric nurse as an LVN and RN at the North Texas State Hospital, retiring from there after 27 years. She would later work at Trinity Terrace and Tarrant County MHMR until retiring again in 2012.

Everyone who knew Geri can agree that the nursing profession was a natural fit for her generous and loving spirit. She always made herself available to care for people and animals, including stray cats and rescue dogs. She even adopted a potbellied pig that she named Samantha.

Although Geri had no children of her own, in June 2000, she became an enthusiastic and loving stepmother and grandmother. She loved the children, cousins, nieces, and nephews of her stepfamily. When Geri wasn’t volunteering at her church and looking after others, she enjoyed spoiling her younger relatives with gifts and relished receiving their trinkets in return, including the drawings from one such special niece, Nillianna Hines.

Geri’s nature to put others before herself made it easy for her to overlook her own wellbeing. She preferred to stay busy, never complaining about any pain or tiredness she was feeling. Unfortunately, it took a diagnosis of advance-stage leukemia to slow her down. Even at the very end, Geri was looking out for others to make sure their lives were comfortable.

Geri was the cherished wife for 19 years of Lorenzo Wiley, Jr. (Fort Worth); loving stepmother to Ingrid Cannon (Anthony) of Aurora, CO, and Zetta Brown (Jim) of Bedford, TX; and caring grandmother to Miles and Christopher Cannon and James Brown.

Geri was also the beloved aunt to Wendell Wayne Smith (Carolyn), Laymon “Bam” Smith III., and Zundria Venegas of Wichita Falls; Sherry Lagail Williams, Red Oak; Timothy Lamont Smith of Killeen, Sharmilla Smith of Dallas, and Sean Vincent Smith of San Antonio, and all of their children.

In addition to a host of friends and family, Geri also leaves behind her two “fur babies,” Samantha and Alex, who will miss their mama very much.

Preceding Geri in death are her grandmother, Ida Mae Thompson, her parents, and her older brother Laymon Smith, Jr.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.gwspencerdirs.net for the WILEY family.