Antoinette Barksdale Terry

Born on November 28, 1931 in Ruston, Louisiana, Toni was the eldest of three daughters born to Helen and Allen Barksdale. She had a wonderful childhood growing up on Good Street and made lifelong friends who were affectionately known as the “Moley Nine.” Toni graduated from Ruston High School and attended Southern Methodist University where she was a Pi Beta Phi. She met the love of her life, Marshall Terry, on the steps of the Pi Phi house, and they were married in a beautiful ceremony in Ruston on September 5, 1953. They returned to Dallas and SMU, Marsh as a teaching fellow and Toni as a college senior. She graduated in 1954, and their first child, Antoinette Terry Bryant, was born on November 13, 1955. Their daughter, Mary Terry Benton, was born on Toni’s 39th birthday in 1970.

As Marsh rose through the academic ranks at SMU, Toni was steadfastly at his side. She hosted university events, including the opening night of the SMU Literary Festival with such guests as Eudora Welty and Saul Bellow, opened her home and heart to students, and traveled with Marsh to SMU programs in London, Madrid, Oxford and Taos. She attended SMU events which are too numerous to count and provided feedback for all of his novels, many of which were dedicated to her.

In the 1980s, Toni and her sister, Mary Helen, opened a small shop in Old Town called The Gift Basket. They loved attending the gift marts, but didn’t always love having to be at the shop, so they decided to close the store and travel instead. Toni and Marsh travelled extensively with Mary Helen and Ron, and they also travelled to visit their daughters and grandchildren in New York, California and Georgia. Their travel was curtailed by Marsh’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, during which time Toni become a devoted caregiver, rarely leaving his side. When he passed away in 2016, they had been married for 63 years.

Toni was a member of Highland Park United Methodist Church, the SMU Women’s Club, Friends of SMU Libraries, United Methodist Women, Ermance Book Club, DAR, and PEO. She was not a member of Sam’s Club. She lived in the same house on Lovers Lane for 68 years and spent the last two and a half years of her life on the Memory Care floor of the Preston of the Park Cities, being loved on by the wonderful caregivers there. She never lost her southern charm and social graces, always asking after people, waving and smiling with a sparkle in her eye.

Toni will be remembered for her fierce love and dedication to her friends and family, especially each of her grandchildren, with whom she shared a special and meaningful relationship. She will be remembered for her story-telling (many about Ruston), her humor,

laughter, loyalty, generosity, good advice, strong hugs, Christmases, and being a hostess who always knew how “to do.” And she will also be remembered for being loud, stubborn, slightly superstitious, painting with her toes, the tired old horse, and being a little crazy in a good way.

The family wishes to express love and gratitude to all of Toni’s caregivers and friends who visited her regularly, and especially to Queen Powell and Glenn Benson, who were not only the best caregivers, but dear and loving friends.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, October 23, 2026 at 4:00 pm at Perkins Chapel on the SMU campus.

Preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Marshall Northway Terry, Jr., sister Dorothy Dell Buffington and brother-in-law, Lamar Buffington, Toni is survived by her daughter, Antoinette Terry Bryant of Los Angeles, CA; daughter, Mary Terry Benton and husband Terrell William Benton, III of Atlanta, GA; grandchildren Jessica Ansley Bryant of New York, NY; John David Bryant and husband Jason Irias Bryant of Los Angeles, CA; Terrell William Benton, IV of Atlanta, GA; Marshall Davis Benton of Atlanta, GA; sister Mary Helen Bradford and husband Ron Bradford of Dallas, TX; nephew Michael Street McFarland and wife Joanna Newman McFarland of Los Angeles, CA; niece Helen Buffington Simpson and husband Joey Simpson of Shreveport, LA; niece Mary Ansley Buffington of Shreveport, LA, and niece Leigh Barksdale Buffington of Monroe, LA.

Memorial gifts may be made in support of The Marsh Terry Creative Writing Scholarship Endowment Fund or Friends of SMU Libraries by making a gift online at smu.edu/giving and designating the fund.