Eva Mae Hunter Smith

Eva Mae Hunter Smith passed away peacefully in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on February 25, 2023 at the home she shared with her daughter Anne Marie Blackmon, son-in-law Jeff Blackmon, and grandchildren Jackson and Amelia. Eva was born in Lenoir, NC in 1928 to Sarah Lucinda (nee Martin) and Thomas Jackson Hunter. She grew up in Hickory, NC through the depression and WWII with her parents and 3 sisters. She made her first trip to Louisiana in 1949 following a cruise through the Panama Canal and kept the folio from her stay at the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans that cost $4.12. She loved to travel in her younger years and treasured her souvenirs from her many adventures. She lived most of her life in Greensboro, NC, where she and ex-husband Jim Smith operated the first Honda motorcycle dealership in the area and were active in Democratic politics. One of her favorite memories was attending President Carter's inaugural ball. Eva's life was greatly enriched by her close friends in Greensboro. She loved children and later worked for many years at Belk Stores in Greensboro in the children's department, where she delighted in helping families. Eva moved to Baton Rouge in 2009 to spend more time with the grandchildren she loved dearly. Affectionately known to many as Grandma E, Eva loved watching birds in the backyard and drinking margaritas. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Marie Mills, daughter Elissa Spivey, and nephew Gregg Mills. She is survived by her sisters Sarah Taylor and Peggy Mills of Fayetteville, NC; nephews Jay, Jackson, and Martin Taylor and their families; as well as daughter Anne Marie and her family. A celebration of life is being planned in May in Greensboro. Grandma E would often spend her afternoons doing the crossword puzzle and writing small checks to mail to many worthy charities. She would have appreciated any donation in her memory to the charity of your choice. To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit www.rabenhorst.com.