Dorothy Fay Hemby Ryan Smith, age 90, passed away April 29, 2024. She was born on March 19, 1934, at the family home near Kenedy, Texas to the late Martha Fenner Hemby and Medley Houston Hemby. She was baptized on October 14, 1934, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Karnes City, Texas.
She began her education at a two-teacher school in Lenz, Texas, and continued to complete high school in Pawnee, Texas, as salutatorian of the class of 1951. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1957 from Texas A & I University, which is now Texas A&M University at Kingsville. She taught elementary school at Pettus, Somerset, Flour Bluff and Victoria Independent School Districts until her retirement in 1985.
Dorothy was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Victoria for 57 years, the Come One, Come All Sunday School class, the ETA Pi chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, and the Morning Study Club. For many years she served as a Stephen Minister and as a Pink Lady and pastoral care volunteer at Citizen’s Medical Center. She was an avid bridge player.
She married her devoted husband of sixty-one years, Ira Frank Ryan, on May 23, 1951, at the University Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas. He passed away in 2012. She married James Nolan Smith on August 22, 2015, at the First United Methodist Church. He passed away in 2022.
Dorothy is survived by her daughters-Martha Ryan Kneifl of Allen, Texas, Paula Ryan Fong (Don) of Winnabow, North Carolina, and Pamela Ryan Kocur (Peter) of Fort Worth, Texas, six grandchildren-Scott Reiser (Lori), Matthew Kneifl (Genevieve), Wilson Fong (Chelsea), Claire Fong, Amanda Wetzel (Kelly) and Jason Kocur, and eight great-grandchildren-Andrew Reiser, Kaitlyn Reiser, Adeline Kneifl, Hazel Kneifl, Elliott Kneifl, Lincoln Wetzel, Kennedy Wetzel and Meadow Fong.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband, Ira Frank Ryan, her brother, Jimmy Ray Hemby, her son-in-law, Philip Kneifl, and her second husband, James Nolan Smith.
A celebration of life service will be held 2 PM on June 15, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Victoria.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church or Hospice of South Texas Dornburg Center of Compassion.
