Emily Genevieve Lovick

Emily Genevieve Lovick, 70, passed away Thursday, March 4, 2021, at Avenir Memory Care in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was born in Fort Smith to the late Ormand B. and Emily F. Shaw. She was also predeceased by her loving grandparents, Pink and Bobbi Shaw.

Emily attended schools in Fort Smith and graduated from Northside High School. Following high school, she attended Westark Community College where she earned an A.A. Degree in Art. She followed that with three B.A. degrees at the U of A – Fayetteville, Art, Art History and Anthropology. In March of 1978, Emily accepted a job with the Arkansas Archeological Survey to help create and excavate Toltec Indian Mounds State Park near Scott, AR. Later Emily excavated a number of North Dakota Middle Missouri archeological sites. Having met at Toltec, Steve and Emily were married on March 22, 1980. The following year, they were offered positions with SMU and the National Science Foundation to perform archeological surface reconnaissance in the Great Karoo of South Africa (over 5,000 sites were documented).

Upon returning to the US, Steve and Emily took up residence in Fort Smith. She soon combined her artistic and archeological skills to take a position as Collections Manager at the Old Fort Museum. She worked for 25 years as Collections Manager for the Fort Smith National Historic Site. While working for the National Park Service, she was honored with being selected to inventory three presidential residences – Garfield, Truman and Clinton.

Emily was a voracious reader and talented artist participating in both calligraphy and quilting. She was a devoted mother volunteering at many of her children’s school activities, dance recitals, as well, as leading her daughter’s Brownie troop and her son’s Cub Scout and Boy Scout units. She also loved attending her Sunday school class, visiting with her church family, enjoying delicious desserts, and caring for her beloved Westies (West Highland Terriers). During her brief retirement, Emily enjoyed traveling the U.S. with Steve and touring numerous art and cultural museums.

She is survived by her husband, Steve; son, Andrew and wife Brittany of Fort Smith and daughter Kirsten of Rogers, Arkansas.

The family would like to express their warm appreciation to the staff of Avenir Memory Care for their loving care of Emily during the past ten months.

Visitation will be on Tuesday, March 9, from 1-7 PM at Edwards Funeral Home. Family will be present from 5-7 PM. A private service will be held on Wednesday at Faith United Methodist Church. The public is invited to the burial service at Steep Hill Cemetery on Wednesday, March 10 at 11:30 AM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Emily’s name to Faith United Methodist Church, 2901 Massard Road, Fort Smith, AR 72903 or to Oklahoma Westie Rescue, www.okwestierescue.com.