Winifred Marie Smiley

Winifred Marie "Penny" Smiley entered this world on August 15, 1942, in Knoxville, Tennessee and was blessed beyond measure to have the late Elder James David "J.D." Rucker, Sr. and the late Laura Etta "Loretta" Rucker (Thomas) as loving parents and James David "Sparky" Rucker, Jr. as a younger brother. Family members named her "Penny" because she was "...pretty as a Penny" as a baby.

She met and married Paul B. Coman, Jr. while at TSU. They later divorced after more than a decade of marriage and having their daughters. She would later marry her late husband, Elder Marvin Smiley and Paul would wed Marilyn -lovingly nicknamed Winifred's "Wife-in-Law."

Winifred peacefully departed this earth at 12:35 p.m. in the Palliative Care Unit of UAB St. Vincent's Hospital surrounded by loved ones on July 22, 2025. She continuously thanked The Lord for her loving family - natural and adopted.

"Mama Winifred," "Ms. Wini," "Ma Smiley," or simply "Ma," "Mama" or "Mother Dear" accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior at an early age at Cherry Street Church of God and later Boyd Street Church of God. She continued to serve God throughout her life at houses of worship including Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, St. Mary's Catholic Church, The Cathedral of St. Paul, the former Providence Baptist Church, and Sardis Missionary Baptist Church before becoming one of the founding members of Harvest Community Church.

Winifred, a graduate of schools including Maynard Elementary School (Knoxville, TN), Cansler Elementary School (Knoxville) Beardsly Jr. High School (Knoxville), Austin High School (Knoxville), Tennessee State University (Nashville, TN), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was a retired teacher from the Birmingham City Schools System. Her more than 35 years of service (which encompassed working after retirement part-time for the love of teaching youth) included supervising, leading, and teaching in BCS's Homebound Program as well as specialty educational programs at Gateway, Salvation Army, City Program, United Methodist Homes, the former Lloyd Noland Hospital's substance abuse unit, and the Jefferson County Family Court's Youth Detention Center. Her TSU degrees included Bachelor of Science in Social Work. She also held advanced degrees in Education from UAB.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband the late Elder Marvin Smiley; her parents; In-Laws,Percy and Dorothy Smiley; daughter, the late Erika Smiley Mahan; and son-in-law the late Sgt. Dennis W. Jackson.

Left to cherish her memory are daughters; Tracey (Ray Weaver, Arthur Dunlap), Rhonda (Antonio Shaheed), Angelyn (Torrance Scott), Victoria (the late Sgt. Jackson), and Staci Smiley; Grandchildren: Christopher Coman (Courtnie); Lela Samone (Weaver, Goolsby, Smiley) and Dylan Goolsby; Edward "E.J." Weaver; Garrett McCloud and Carrington McCloud; Alexandra (Forrest) Sheffield (Ivory); Torrance "Taz" and Eric Scott (Jasmine); and Victor and Christian Jackson. Great Grandchildren: Joren Allison, Emma and Lydia Goolsby, Shiloh Scott, and four "bonus" Great Grandchildren: Ivory II, Aubrie, Ace, and August.

A visitation for Winifred will be held Friday, July 25, 2025 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Ridout's Trussville Chapel, 1500 Gadsden Hwy, Birmingham, AL 35235. A celebration of life will occur Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Victory City Birmingham, 1533 E Lake Blvd, Birmingham, AL 35217.

Winifred will be laid to rest in Alabama National Cemetery, 3133 Hwy 119, Montevallo, AL.