Barbara Anne Smith Harris died on Sunday, January 12, 2020. Barbara was born in New Hill on September 26, 1933 to the late Luther Homer Smith and Octavia Marie Blackburn Smith. Except for a brief time in Texas, she was a lifelong resident of Wake County.
Barbara (or Bobbie, or Grannie, as she was affectionately called) is survived by her daughters, Rhonda Lynn Evrard and Pamela Anne Costilow; her beloved grandsons Hamilton Evrard (and his wife Ashley), Lincoln Evrard, James Costilow (and his wife Emily), Justin Costilow (and his wife Taylor); her great-grandchildren Liam and Kaleigh Rose Evrard and Ruby Jean Costilow; and a host of extended family and friends who will miss her greatly. She was preceded in death by her parents and her three sisters—Alice Mason, Ruby Jones Mahmoud, and Frances Jeffreys.
Barbara played basketball and was in the Journalism, F.H.A., and Dramatics clubs while a student at Apex High School, and later worked for the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and Nationwide Insurance. She was an active member of Apex Baptist Church until health issues prevented her from attending.
The true richness of her life was evident in the time, energy and love that Grannie invested in her family and friends! She retired from work when her second grandson was born because “someone has got to help raise these boys!” Her home was like a second home for all four of her grandchildren—a place where the door was always open, there was always a Pepsi in the refrigerator, and there was always a pair of warm, welcoming arms. Grannie loved to host family gatherings and dinners and was famous for her chocolate cake with scratch-made frosting and fried corn fritters. When not in the kitchen Grannie was the world’s best babysitter and chauffeur for her grandchildren. Grannie bought a computer “so that the grandchildren would come hang out at my house” and a digital camera to preserve memories of her family, and then spent time on the computer “tracing” her airline pilot grandson on FlightAware and printing photos of the family. Grannie would also follow the whereabouts of her Air Force grandson. Grannie loved music—especially gospel and country music and the old hymns—and loved to sing along with her guitar-playing oldest grandson.
Besides her grandchildren, the other love of her life was her husband, Robert. Together they traveled to Nashville and Texas and Wilmington and points in-between, hung wallpaper and painted and remodeled rooms together, and loved and took care of each other as they grew old together. His passing left a great void in her life.
Grannie touched many lives with her joy, hospitality, and love….her caring attitude and open arms will greatly be missed.
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