Born in Johnston County on October 1, 1939, she was a daughter to the late Malcolm Smith and Josephine Johnson Smith.
Clennis graduated from Cleveland High School and attended Hardbarger Business School. She worked for the State of North Carolina in the Division of Motor Vehicles as a secretary for 30 years.
Clennis attended Saint Andrews United Methodist Church in Garner, NC. In her free time, she enjoyed sewing and traveling.
A graveside service will be held at 2:00pm on Friday, March 20, 2026, at Pinecrest Memorial Park in Clayton.
In addition to her parents, Clennis is preceded in death by her sister, Sue Hall, and her daughter,
Cindy Powers.
She is survived by her husband, Coy Stephenson; daughter, Sonja Carter and her husband, Billy; sisters, Barbara Penny and Joan Parrish; grandchildren, Brad Carter, Alicia Abarca and her husband Vince, and Lori Powers; great grandchildren, Maddie Gedde, Skylar Abarca, Zoe Abarca and Thalia Abarca.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in her honor to the Multiple Myeloma Foundation at https://donate.themmrf.org/mmrf-general-giving/donate
