Joan B Smith

She was born on March 25, 1934 in Tishamingo, Mississippi where her grandparents owned the general store. She first attended Mississippi State College for Women and then transferred to Birmingham Southern College, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. After college, she worked at Moore Handley and volunteered at The Assistance League where she made many lifelong friends. After getting married, she stayed at home for a few years to raise her daughter. Eventually, she returned to the workforce and went to work at ADCO Company, which was owned by a dear friend. She enjoyed working, rarely missed a day at work, and finally retired in her late 70s.

Joan loved God, her family, and her many friends. For many years, she especially loved attending the Table Ministries Class at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, of which she was a member for 43 years. She also loved to travel. One of the many adventure stories that she delighted in telling involved her and her two traveling companions running into John Wayne in Mexico. He invited them to join him at the resort’s restaurant that evening so that he could throw a party in honor of the three southern belles he had just met. Joan was an easy conversationalist who would strike up a conversation with a random stranger and end up with a new friend.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Donald Jackson Smith. She is survived by her daughter, Donna Caroline Savage, her son-in-law, Hunter Savage of Mountain Brook, her beloved three grandchildren. Jackson, Ben, and Caroline, and her granddogs, Dixie and Bandit, who loved the endless snacks Joan always gave them.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to the exceptional doctors, nurses, and staff at Grandview, UAB Highlands, and Kirkwood by the River Rehab, to her excellent helper, Taylor Lewis, and to all the caregivers from CareFirst.

Visitation will be on Monday, February 24th from 5-6 PM at Ridout's Valley Chapel, 1800 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, Alabama 35209. A Memorial Service will be on Tuesday, February 25th at 4 PM at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, 1114 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, Alabama 35209.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Cavalier Rescue https://thecavalierrescue.org or to Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.