Barbara Lee Bromley "Bobbie" Smith

She was born July 26, 1938 in Louisville, KY the middle daughter to Eleanor Tschiffely and Charles Anderson Bromley, Jr. In 1958, when she was a freshman and cheerleader at the University of Louisville, she met Kay Gibson Smith, the love of her life. They married in July of 1958 and moved to Little Rock, Arkansas where she rode horses and got her private pilot’s license and flew a little Cessna that she and Kay purchased. In 1970 she became a real estate broker, passing her licensing exam just 10 days after giving birth to her second child. She worked in real estate management for many years on the Mississippi Gulf Coast before moving to Corpus Christi, Texas in the early 1990’s. Kay died in 1995 but she remained in Corpus Christi for a couple of years and became an EMT, riding ambulances and working in the 911 call center. Eventually she returned to Louisville, KY and got a job as a cook on tow boats. She rode up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers cooking for the crew and having yet another adventure. In the early 2000’s she moved to New Orleans where she became a massage therapist, eventually working in childcare and elder care and also took care of her sweet grand-babies. Bobbie was adventurous, optimistic, cheerful and always had a smile to greet you,

Bobbie loved her son, John Kay, and daughter, Sam, and was absolutely devoted to the three grandchildren they gave her. Anyone who knew her knew all about her amazing grandkids whom she bragged about endlessly.

Bobbie is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kay Gibson Smith; and her sisters, Carol Bromley Gosling and Dorothy Bromley Leach. She is survived by her son, John Kay Smith (Lynda) of Ketchum, OK, and daughter, Samantha Tschiffely Smith Guichet (Joe) of New Orleans, LA; granddaughters, Kay Rene Ashby Smith and Eleanor Grace Guichet; and her grandson, Jacob Michael Guichet. She had many, many friends in all of the places she lived.

A service was held on October 1 at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans. The family asks that memorial gifts be made to Zeus’ Place in New Orleans. https://zeusrescues.org/donate/