Barbara Leonard Smith

Barbara Mae Leonard Smith was born on July 20, 1938, in McAllen, Texas, and died in Austin, Texas, on April 27, 2026, at the age of 87 years. Throughout those years, Barbara was widely recognized as a woman of many talents and high expectations. She was respected for her many remarkable achievements. She gave more than she took. She was an Austin girl, who had the good fortune to live in Austin when it was more cool than weird.

Barbara was the beloved daughter of Nona and Homer Leonard, who knew quite a bit about talent, expectation, and achievement. Homer Leonard served 16 years in the Texas House of Representatives, rising to become Speaker of the House. The apple did not fall far from the tree. Barbara was also a bit spoiled … as she should’ve been. She could do no wrong in her parents’ eyes. They were immensely and justifiably proud of her. Their reunion this week brings her family comfort.

Barbara was the wife of Alden B. Smith, also of Austin. They met at Austin High School, courted at the University of Texas, and married at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd on September 5, 1959. Though their union lasted more than 66 years, the start of their marriage was a little delayed. Barbara’s father said she couldn’t marry until she graduated from the University of Texas … so she completed the Plan II Honors Program and graduated Phi Beta Kappa … in 3 years. Barbara was used to getting her way … and she did … often.

After marrying, Barbara and Alden briefly lived in Dallas but soon returned to Austin. Together they built a beautiful home, a successful real estate and investment business, and a family consisting of three sons (Leonard, Mark, and Lamar) but also an extended family of many, many dear friends in Austin and around the world. Cooking was not one of her gifts, but her hospitality was warm, genuine, and freely given. The doors to her home were always open to those she held dear.

In many ways, Barbara lived a charmed life … and she often provided the charm. She also had abundant self-confidence. As a young wife and mother in the 1960s, she telephoned the White House to share with President Johnson her thoughts on resolving the Vietnam War. Astonishingly, the President took the call, patiently heard her out, and thanked her for sharing her ideas. History might have taken a different course if President Johnson had sent her to negotiate with Hanoi. Barbara later served as the President of the Junior League of Austin … some would regard that as an even more difficult diplomatic mission. Barbara loved Luci Johnson like a sister and vice versa.

In the 1970s, in the midst of the tennis boom, Barbara’s sons found the game she loved better than she played, which was a good thing for tennis. True to form and in short order, Barbara went from running local junior tennis tournaments to the presidency of the Capital Area Tennis Association, the presidency of the Texas Tennis Association, the vice presidency of the United States Tennis Association, and important assignments on the United States Olympic Committee, the International Tennis Federation, and the International Olympic Committee. She was integral to running the tennis events at six consecutive Summer Games, starting in Atlanta in 1996 and ending in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Her sons played and won a lot of tennis matches, but only Barbara is a proud member of the Texas Tennis Hall of Fame. At the London Games in 2012, she was responsible for the smooth running of the Royal Box and hosted Prince William, Princess Kate, Michelle Obama, and Ann Romney … another diplomatic mission she handled with aplomb and grace.

Barbara was most proud of her grandchildren Win, Claire, Molly, Carley, Gray, Jacqueline, and McKenzie. As a toddler, Win named her “Baba” … and the name stuck. Baba was a well-known and well-liked fixture in the stands at baseball and football games, dance recitals, volleyball matches, and horse shows for more than 20 years. Baba took her husband, children, daughters-in-law (Janis, Traci, and Michaele) and grandchildren on many exciting trips and adventures. She loved to explore the world and shared that pleasure with her family.

Barbara was an immutable force of nature, but this week she collided with the proverbial immovable object. And so we write today in celebration of her life, her legacy, her joys, and her loves. We will miss her so. May she rest in peace after a life well-lived. Game, set, and match.

Barbara’s family would like to thank the kind and skilled women who cared for her in her last months: Rita Holmes, Melissa Holmes, Patti Amaro, Crystal Serrano, and Shana Jimenez. We are also most grateful to Beatrice Anderson, Coco Coronado, and Betty Rose Aguirre for their longstanding friendship and loyal service to Barbara and Alden. All were true friends to and through the end.

Barbara’s funeral service will be held at 2:00 pm on Monday, May 4, 2026, at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. A reception will follow at Westwood Country Club, near the tennis courts where she spent so many happy and fulfilling hours. Arrangements by Weed Corley Fish.