Grace M. Smith

  Grace Myrtle Holness was born on August 25, 1920 to William and Roselle Holness in Kingston, Jamaica, W.I. She was the eldest of four children, two brothers who predeceased her, and one remaining sister.

Grace was known by many names: Mummy, Moms, Sweetie, Myrtle, Grandma, GG, Mamma Grace and the funniest one, Miss Simit. 

As a young girl, Grace enjoyed school, music (singing and playing the piano), baking and playing games with her cousins.  In 1945, she married the love of her life, Ainsley “Tullie” Harrington Smith. Together they had five children: Grace, Paul (deceased), Michael, Andrea and Donovan. After her husband’s passing in 1984, Grace settled into a life of singleness for the next 36 years. Grace was a mother, homemaker and career woman. She embarked on a career in teaching and later became a Registered Nurse and Midwife. She served in several communities in Jamaica and after migrating to the USA, she worked at Beth Israel Hospital in New York and Parkway Regional Hospital in Miami until her retirement. She loved nursing and caring for others, it was the ideal career for her. She was empathetic, intuitive and calm under pressure.

Grace loved gardening. She had a green thumb par excellence evidenced by her over 300 orchids (she was a member of the North Miami Orchid Society) and her diverse collection of tropical fruit trees (mango, papaya, naseberry, ackee and orange). She delighted in watching expectantly for each fruit to be ready for plucking before the predators of the wild devoured her precious fruits. Grace found ways to maximize food waste. It was not unusual for her to save pepper and tomato seeds and replant them to see if they would flourish, and they did. At the age of 100, she was still growing a vegetable garden and, of course, orchids.

Grace was a seasoned traveller. She and her husband explored far-off lands like Israel, France and Austria. After his passing, she added to her travel memoirs places like Australia and New Zealand, Turkey and the Greek Islands.

Grace had varied hobbies including quilting, reading, crossword and jigsaw puzzles. These activities helped to keep her mind sharp — her quick wit and sense of humor were proof positive.  Grace was a strong Christian woman. Working for the Lord always took first place in her life. She was actively involved in choir, teaching, women’s activities, Bible Study Fellowship and also led a neighborhood Good News club in her home.  Grace’s motto for a long life was: “God first in everything, moderation in all things, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.”

Grace is survived by her 4 children and their spouses, 5 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, her sister Dorothy, a host of nieces and nephews, and a myriad of friends whose lives she deeply touched.  She will be greatly missed.