Kathleen Weeks Smith

Kathleen Weeks Smith was born May 8, 1934, in Beaverton, Alabama, to William Glover and Lillie Lou Weeks. As the youngest of 11 children, she graduated with Honors from Sulligent High School, in Sulligent, Alabama. She was a member of the Sulligent Blue Devils Women’s Basketball Team of Sulligent High. Upon her graduation, she took employment as a telephone operator for Southern Bell, and initially settled in Birmingham, where she met her husband of 64 years, James. In addition to her career with Southern Bell, she became a sales manager with Tupperware Industries, and also served her then-local community in Gardendale, Alabama where she and James raised their four children, as a crossing guard at Gardendale High.

In addition to raising her children and teaching them to love God, she taught children and youth Sunday School classes for many years at Smoke Rise Baptist, where she and James were longtime members. She was later thrilled to be remembered by, and adopted into fellowship with, the kind, compassionate, and caring souls at Cross Roads Baptist Church, in Hayden, Alabama, after Smoke Rise Baptist closed. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, quilting, gardening (especially keeping her beautiful rose garden), and taking care of her family.

Kathleen was predeceased by her parents, William Glover Weeks and Lillie Lou Weeks, and all 10 of her siblings; and husband of 64 years, James. She is survived by her four children: Jim Smith (Vickie) of Mt. Olive, Michele Smith of Vestavia Hills, Michael Smith (Kathy) of Gardendale and Mark Smith (Carlene) of Gardendale; grandsons Brandon Smith (Mia) of Wahiawa, HI, Justin Smith of Gardendale, AL, Kirk Smith of Las Vegas, NV, and great-grandchildren Hailey and Hunter Smith of Las Vegas, NV, as well as many nieces and nephews, and host of friends.

A Celebration of her life will be held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Ridout’s Gardendale Chapel with the family receiving friends from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. A graveside service will follow at Oakwood Memorial Gardens. Reverend Michael Jones will officiate.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to her neighbors, her caregivers at UAB and Spain Rehabilitation Hospitals, and to the members of Cross Roads Baptist Church for the many kindnesses they’ve shown her in her recent years.